Lime

Drugs and substances


It is our legal duty to ensure drug and NPS use is strictly prohibited

The College is committed to the pursuit of zero tolerance on the use and misuse of illegal substances to try to maximise student health and wellbeing.  It is our legal duty to ensure drug and New Psychoactive Sustances' use is strictly prohibited in halls of residence and on campus and we take all necessary steps including working with the Police to enforce this.

Just a few reasons to leave them alone:

  • The use of drugs and other substances is not conducive to study and frequently effects academic success.
  • Use of substances can impact your judgement and allow you to make bad decisions.
  • Drug misuse has serious health consequences physically and mentally.
  • Evidenced drug misuse by students will lead to conduct interventions and can ultimately lead to the discontinuation of your enrolment here.
  • There is an increased risk to the personal safety of yourself and others if you become involved with those who supply drugs and their presence will also increase the risk and likelihood of associated crime 
  • All drugs have a high risk element and this will be increased if you mix substances - both drugs and alcohol but also prescription medications. 
  • Substances are highly addictive and can be expensive and use can lead to financial difficulties.
  • The possession or use drugs can lead to criminal convictions which can severely limit your future career and travel opportunities
  • Noticeable use of drugs tends to rigidly define social groups, so it may limit your circle of friends

We are happy to discuss any of these issues with students at any time to allow you to make informed choices, ask questions and seek support. 

If you are worried about your or a friends use of drugs or other substances or wish to seek general advice please contact us at wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk.

New Psychoactive Substances 

New Psychoactive Substances (previously known as 'legal highs') are not safe or approved for people to use and are not legal as they actually contain ingredients that are illegal to possess. They are also called club drugs.

NPS can be a serious risk to your health. Users can never be sure what they are taking and what the effects might be and forensic testing has shown that they can contain different substances to those expected.

Here are some of the risks associated with them:

  • If combined with alcohol, the risk to your health can increase.
  • As chemical compounds can vary, even drugs that look similar or are similarly named may vary significantly in strength and effect.
  • The risks are unpredictable and can result in reduced inhibitions, paranoia, drowsiness, seizures, coma and, in some cases, death.

We are happy to discuss these issues with students and if you are worried about your or a friends use of NPS, or wish to seek general advice, please contact us at wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk.

Smoking

The College is committed to creating a healthy and safe working environment for staff, students and visitors and, therefore, recognises the right of all staff and students to work in a smoke free environment. It has operated for a number of years a policy of no smoking within most areas of its academic and administrative buildings in order to ensure, as far as is possible, that everyone is protected from the dangers of smoke.

The following document relates to smoking on College premises:

Quit..........for the health of it!

If you are a smoker and you have taken the decision to improve your health and well being, stopping smoking is the obvious place to start. Smokers usually know all the facts about the downside of smoking; smoking is the biggest cause of illness and death in Britain today, smoking shortens lives and also causes serious health problems. 
The good news is that it is never too late to stop smoking and almost as soon as you do stop, the health benefits will begin. If you have smoked all your life it is still worth stopping as you will reduce your risk of you or your family contracting one of the many fatal diseases that smoking causes.

The health benefits of quitting are:

FInd out how quickly you'll notice the benefits of quitting:

  • 20 minutes: Blood pressure and pulse rate return to normal. 
  • 24 hours: Nicotine and carbon monoxide levels in blood reduced by half, oxygen levels return to normal. 
  • 48 hours: There is no nicotine in the body. Ability to taste and smell is greatly improved. 
  • 72 hours: Breathing becomes easier. Bronchial tubes begin to relax and energy levels increase.
  • 2-12 weeks: Your circulation improves. 
  • 3-9 months: Coughing, wheezing and breathing problems improve as lung function increases by up  to10%. 
  • 5 years: Risk of heart attack falls to about half compared to a person who is still smoking. 
  • 10 years: Risk of lung cancer falls to half of that of a smoker. Risk of heart attack falls to the same as someone who has never smoked.

*The above figures are taken from NHS SmokeFree: http://smokefree.nhs.uk/why-quit/timeline/ 

Where can I get help and support? 

Every smoker has a different approach to quitting and different requirements for support. Not all methods work for each smoker however there are some methods which can help many people.

You don't have to go it alone. Get free help from your local NHS Stop Smoking Adviser and you'll be four times more likely to successfully stop smoking than by willpower alone. You can work with a trained adviser alone or in a group. Your adviser will give you advice about Nicotine Replacement Therapy and other stop smoking aids available on prescription. 
There are also lots of useful tools on NHS website that can help you get started on your journey towards becoming smokefree.  See the following links for more information:

Stop smoking - practical, quick and simple steps you can take NOW to quit successfully

Smoke Free - advice to help you stop smoking

Shisha 

Shisha, also known as hookah or hubbly-bubbly, is generally tobacco sweetened with fruit syrup or sugar smoked through a shisha pipe. Traditionally, shisha tobacco contains nicotine, tar, carbon monoxide and heavy metals – as found in cigarettes – and as such carries a number of similar risks:

  • The average shisha session lasts an hour and in this time you can inhale the same amount of smoke as from over 100 cigarettes.
  • Shisha smoking is addictive – only some of the nicotine is absorbed by the water, so the nicotine exposure is sufficient to cause an addiction.
  • Shisha smokers are at risk of the same kinds of diseases as cigarette smokers, including heart disease, cancer and respiratory disease.

It is against College Policy to smoke any substance in halls of residence, and inside College buildings.

We are happy to discuss any of the issues raised above to allow you to make informed choices, ask questions and obtain support. If you are concerned about your own or friends shisha smoking, please contact wellbeing@royalholloway.ac.uk

 

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