Launch of a new Drug Testing Pilot at The Students’ Union with Bristol Drugs Project

In March 2026, The Students’ Union at UWE partnered with Bristol Drugs Project (BDP) to launch a new drug testing kit pilot across Frenchay and Bower Campuses. The pilot runs on a drop-in basis so students can come along to a pop-up at a campus site of their choosing.

We launched this pilot following conversations with students at various drug and alcohol events and via online interactions, whereby they expressed an interest in testing kits.  This shows a growing awareness among students of the risks associated with substance use, a desire for practical tools to mitigate those risks and the confidence and knowledge that this is a safe environment to do so.

During drop-in sessions, students picking up a kit will get the chance to speak to a practitioner from BDP for around 5 to 20 minutes (dependant on how many questions they have) who’ll ask them about their experiences with taking and testing drugs. They’ll also be shown how to use a reagent kit and be offered advice on how to interpret the result and risks associated.

The first session saw a high level of engagement at Frenchay Campus, with 30 reagent kits distributed and 17 students engaging in conversations about drug safety and harm reduction. Students not only took kits for themselves but took them home for friends.

Our second session was over at Bower Ashton Campus where we had 10 students engage in conversations and over 15 kits were given out.

If you’re interested in picking up your own at home reagent testing kit come along to one of our next pop-ups:

Frenchay Campus - The Students’ Union, Meeting Room 4

Thursday 23 April: 11:00 – 15:00

Thursday 21 May: 11:00 – 15:00

Bower Ashton Campus - B Block, Room 0B018

Thursday 7 May: 11:00 – 15:00

If you would like to find out more about our harm reduction approach to student drug and alcohol use you can:

Visit our webpages for more harm reduction advice and guidance: Drugs Including Alcohol and Drugs and alcohol - Staying happy and healthy | UWE Bristol

Sign up to be part of our Student Steering Group: Expression of interest Student-Led Drug & Alcohol Steering Group – Fill in form

Book an appointment with UWE’s Drug and Alcohol Service: Drugs and alcohol - Staying happy and healthy | UWE Bristol