The biggest student drug and alcohol awareness week yet!

With student drug and alcohol awareness week growing year-on-year, we wanted to take the opportunity to celebrate the excellent activities, communications and learning opportunities that took place during student drug and alcohol awareness week 2025.

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The pledges

A shout-out to the 74 universities, students’ unions,charities and treatment providers that pledged to take part in student drug and alcohol awareness week!

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Activities (& freebies!)

Student drug and alcohol awareness week provides an excellent opportunity for institutions to connect with students on campus, and this year was no different!

We saw so many amazing activities, events and conversations happening over this week. We’ve shared a couple of highlights below!

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Queen’s University Belfast

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Queen’s University Belfast launched a harm reduction flowchart campaign, to support students in navigating substance use and sexual health more safely, including information on the risks of mixing substances and engaging in unprotected sex. Students were able to self-direct through the flowchart and take away the relevant harm reduction materials. The flowchart was proudly placed in central spaces across campus, including the main students’ union foyer.

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Bath Spa University

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Bath Spa offered students free harm reduction goody bags during the week to students who engaged with the students, alcohol and drugs survey 2025/26. These goody bags contained anti-spiking resources, alcohol measuring cups, condoms, sweets and lots of helpful signposting information for students. Over 200 goody bags were given out across the week!

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University of Northampton

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The University of Northampton Students’ Union hosted a hydration station in their students ’union, full of harm reduction resources such as drink covers, hydration drinks and drug testing kits. They also set up listening rooms throughout the week,which is a private space for students to access confidential advice from trained members of staff.

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Working together!

We saw lots of great collaboration during student drug and alcohol awareness week, with many institutions highlighting support from local drug and alcohol treatment providers, mental health charities and organisations focused on wellbeing. We love seeing students connecting with local organisations and having access to specialist knowledge and expertise on campus!

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University College London

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University College London hosted a harm reduction week, broadening their support to include information on gambling, video gaming and pornography dependencies. To support this, they hosted colleagues from CGL, gamcare and their wider harm reduction team. Students had the opportunity to learn about individual substances, with CGL bringing example substances on campus to educate students,as well as learning about local support both internally and externally.

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Bath Spa University

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Bath Spa University hosted a local wellness service, who provided students with free mini health checks on campus. Students were offered optional blood pressure, weight and carbon monoxide readings, which proved popular with students. We love to see this week as an opportunity for students to reflect on their health and wellbeing!

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Keele University

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Keele University used this week to advertise the mental health support available to students,through highlighting hangxiety, which is the anxiety some people experience following a period of alcohol consumption, and encouraging students to reflection the impact of alcohol on their mental health.

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Social Media!

Social media again proved a popular way to engage with students during student drug and alcohol awareness week, with institutions sharing resources, advertising events and showing their support for the week.

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Cardiff Metropolitan University

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Cardiff Metropolitan students’ union invited their sports teams to mark student drug and alcohol awareness week by planning and delivering a non-alcohol-focused social event. Their cricket club shared their experience on social media,connecting over a walk and a coffee as opposed to meeting up in a bar. We’re glad they had fun!

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Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association

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Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association celebrated student drug and alcohol awareness week by sharing harm reduction resources on their social media, with 68 students sharing their post marking the start of the week. That’s a great way to get the message far and wide!

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Thank you to everyone who took part in student drug and alcohol awareness week 2025 – we’re already excited to see what 2026 brings!

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