Harm reduction campaign commended for supporting student safety
18 Aug 2022
Our first harm reduction campaign for drug and alcohol safety has been hailed a sector-leading success, becoming one of our most popular student news pieces of the 2021/22 academic year
The trailblazing end of semester campaign, the first of its kind by a UK-university, followed our move from zero-tolerance to a harm reduction approach to drugs and alcohol in January 2022.
Developed by our Student Communications Team in consultation with members of the Students’ Perspectives Group and Students’ Union, the ‘Celebrating Safely’ campaign saw practical harm reduction advice shared across our social, web and email channels – all coinciding with the end of exams and start of the summer period.
As well as advice on alcohol consumption, sexual wellbeing, and drink spiking, we shared judgement-free, practical advice for students who take drugs, in language they are familiar with, to encourage the use of free testing kits, safer dosing, and reaching out for support if required.
The campaign concluded with a video message from a well-known figure in the Manchester student community: Sacha Lord, Co-Founder of Parklife Festival and The Warehouse Project and Greater Manchester’s Night-time Economy Advisor. Sacha’s message was shared via our social channels two days before Parklife 2022, which thousands of our students attended.
In total the campaign reached over 75,000 people across our social channels and was the second most opened student email newsletter of the 2021/22 academic year.
Simon Merrywest, Director for the Student Experience, said: “Our end of semester ‘Celebrating Safely’ campaign has left corporate speak at the door to talk openly, without judgement and directly addressed students who engage in drug use – providing knowledge and support to help them make informed choices and reduce any harm they may do themselves.
"We can see from the numbers who have engaged with the material, the notes of praise we have received from other universities and organisations, and most importantly the overwhelmingly positive feedback we have received directly from our students, that this has been a resounding success.
"This is just the beginning of our journey: our University’s Harm Reduction Working Group, with membership from our academic, PS and student communities, will continue to implement initiatives that benefit student safety.”