SafeCourse is committed to both ensuring evidence-based harm reduction policies at places of higher education but also engaging students to challenge the normalisation of drug use.
Despite its impact on student health, learning and futures, student drug use remains a neglected and stigmatised area. As a result the true scale of harm is not accurately reported and the depth of suffering for those misusing drugs and their loved ones is not fully appreciated. SafeCourse has a new approach to this subject.
Many universities are still moving away from zero tolerance policies on drugs. In practice this very often means zero action – no open and honest discussion about drugs, no engagement with students about risks and harms and a disciplinary response to students who need support. This puts students at risk.
In July 2024, Universities UK issued guidance that asked all universities to adopt a clear harm reduction approach.
It’s time that universities recognise the importance of this issue, do the right thing and work with students to reduce demand for and harms from drugs.
SafeCourse is trying to do something different. Not simply tell students what to do but to empower them to lead the conversation, challenge the normalization of drug use and help create a culture where informed choice , support and harm reduction become the new norm.
Our Objectives
Encourage universities to implement harm reduction approaches.
Tackle the stigma around drug use and addiction.
Improve student awareness about drug risks and behaviours.
Connect universities to drugs charities and bereaved parents.
Remembering
Daniel Mervis
SafeCourse was founded by Hilton Mervis, following the
tragic death of his son Daniel by drug overdose in 2019.
Daniel, gifted and much loved, had developed an addiction during his time as a student at St John’s College, Oxford.
The coroner found that the adoption of a zero tolerance approach by the college may have prevented him from asking for or getting help.
St John’s now promotes harm reduction, makes an annual donation to SafeCourse and runs the Daniel Mervis prize on student drug use.
Our Aims
Reduce the demand for drugs
Minimise
the harms associated with drug use
Change
the narrative about student
drug use
Our Approach
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Keep students at the centre of our work
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Work with universities to embed harm reduction
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Be guided by evidence
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Work with specialist agencies and charities
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Stay lean and demonstrate impact
Our Work
With Students
Student Media Competition
Student Peer
to Peer
Drug Testing
We will run a national student competition on the theme of drugs harm reduction.
We will develop a
student peer to peer
work programme.
We will support universities and students’ unions to provide drug testing kits for students.
Our Work
With Universities
Legal Advice
Monitoring Universities' Progress with Harm Reduction
Promoting City
Harm Reduction Partnerships
We have produced authoritative legal advice on the role and responsibility of universities including their liability if they do not adopt harm reduction approaches. SafeCourse is grateful to Victoria Wakefield KC and Tim Johnston of Brick Court Chambers for providing this opinion pro bono.
We have conducted an audit – based on FoI requests to 144 universities - of sector progress on harm reduction one year on from the publication of UUK’s national guidance. We will follow up in 2027.
We will support universities to work together in local partnership with public health, police, charities, and bereaved families.
Impact 2025
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Legal advice on universities’ liability regarding student safety
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SafeCourse is deeply grateful to Victoria Wakefield KC and Tim Johnston of Brick Court Chambers for providing an opinion on the legal risks of zero-tolerance versus harm reduction drugs policies in universities. -
The full opinion can be found <here>
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The press release accompanying the opinion is <here>
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FOI reporting on institutional progress toward harm reduction
Priorities 2026
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National student media competition
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this will enable students to produce media in a form relatable to them as to the harm of drug use.
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SafeCourse promotional video.
Our long term aim is to connect the addiction charities, bereavement charities and student bodies with the universities to optimize the harm reduction and reduce the normalization of drug
Our Charity
STATUS
SafeCourse is a registered charity [charity number: 1201967]
FOUNDER
Hilton Mervis — commercial litigation solicitor and charity advocate
TRUSTEES
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Sir Robin Knowles CBE — High Court Judge
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Martin Rushton-Turner — Executive Chair at IPG
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John de Pury — independent health and education adviser; previously led Universities UK drugs framework development
Our Support
SUPPORT
If you wish to make a donation or to volunteer your time and expertise to SafeCourse, we would love to hear from you at safecourse@gmail.com
THANKS
We are very grateful to all our donors and supporters:
Ethan Jacobs
Byfield Reputation Counsel
Herinder & Alka Singh in memory of BalMohinder Singh & Satwant Kaur
The Hillier Trust
St John’s College, University of Oxford
While vast sums are sums are spent each year fighting drugs and dealing with the consequences of drug harm, remarkably little if anything has been invested in helping students themselves challenge the normalization of drug use.
Safe course was founded on a simple belief lasting change will only come when students are empowered to lead the conversation, support one another and help create a culture where informed choices, harm reduction and personal responsibility become the norm.
That is why we need your support to fill a yawning gap in something which may help our loved ones and future generations
How your donation will be put to work:
Will reduce immediate risks for students who are using drugs –
at the same time raising awareness of the dangers of drug use - by
providing drug-testing kits.
Preventing student deaths
Will give students the opportunity to shape the messages that work
for themby funding a national student media competition on the
theme of drugs harm reduction.
Running a student media competition
Will allow students to understand their own personal drugs risk profile - as well as to access non-judgemental information about drugs and to be signposted to support - via the co-funding of a student drugs app.
Developing
a student
drugs app
Will fund a groundbreaking, student-led campaign across 12 campuses, withstudents trained to audit drug use at their own universities and to engage with their peers about drugs - raising awareness of risks, behaviours, signs of addiction.
Carrying out
a student-led drugs awareness campaign
Will fund a new national platform to join up city-wide harm reduction partnerships which are bringing together students, universities, local authorities, drugs charities, police and those with lived experience including students and staff in recovery and bereaved families. The platform will provide a coordinated approach, sharing best practice and optimising existing resources.
Launching a new national platform to coordinate local harm reduction partnerships
So much suffering and tragedy is caused by drug misuse and addiction. Society has built up an extraordinary tolerance of, and in many ways normalised, the preventable deaths of people who have not appreciated the dangers of drugs. In many instances, drug use has also exacerbated mental health problems.
A few links highlighting the types of tragedies that can engulf wider society. Although our primary focus is on students, these cases form part of the same wider problem and for the moment there are too many to even begin to list.