Cannabis use in Hall

Residents in selected areas of the Hall will receive a printed copy of this letter, but it's shared here with everyone as a timely reminder about the potential health, welfare, disciplinary, and legal consequences of using drugs in Hall.

http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/…/Cannabis-letter-2016.02.…

The last page contains links to sites providing information on alcohol and drug use disorder, with contact details for counselling and support services. Whilst my team and I do wish to provide direct support for you, these provide alternative avenues if you feel unable to contact anyone in Hall.

http://www.connaught-hall.org.uk/documents/Cannabis-letter-2016.02.pdf

Help with alcohol & drug use concerns

Several recent incidents in the halls have provided harsh reminders of the serious and immediate risk to health and life that "recreational" drugs - including new psychoactive substances and herbal or "legal highs" - and/or excessive use of alcohol can pose to otherwise fit and well students. And of course there is also a good body of evidence showing the longer-term physical and mental health risks of regular use. So we are writing to remind you about the help that is available to safeguard you from alcohol- and drug-related harm.

Whilst the possession or use of illegal drugs is a disciplinary offence, our primary concern will always be for your safety and wellbeing. If you genuinely seek our help because you are worried about your use of alcohol or drugs, we will approach your concerns confidentially and non-judgmentally. We will seek to provide you with the support you need. If you are willing to accept professional help, in most cases we will not pursue disciplinary action. 

Similarly, if you are concerned about a friend's use of alcohol or drugs in the hall, you can tell us in confidence, without fear that you will get your friend in trouble. Telling us your concerns about a friend's use of alcohol or drugs could be the thing that saves their life. Please don't stand by and do nothing. 

Most importantly, if you or a friend become unwell after taking drugs, please get medical help (call 999 for an ambulance) and inform the front-desk security immediately. In a medical emergency our concern is always to ensure that the paramedics and doctors treating you know exactly what has happened and why, so please tell us the whole story. Your health and wellbeing always come first. 

So if you are concerned about any matter relating to alcohol or drug use in hall - your own or someone else's - make an appointment to speak in confidence with your Warden. 

English law places some requirements on us that mean we must use the disciplinary procedure in certain circumstances. These are: 

     1. If there is any evidence that a resident is supplying drugs to others. 

     2. If smoking drugs such as cannabis inside the Hall is causing a breach of the Health Act 2010. 

     3. If the use of drugs in the Hall causes risk to the safety of other residents, staff, or the public.


We will also use the disciplinary procedure if we find evidence of illegal drug use in your room but neither you nor a friend has come forward seeking help. It is too late to ask for our help after we have found evidence of drug use.

Links to sites providing information on alcohol and drug use disorder are provided below, with contact details for counselling and support services. Whilst we do wish to provide direct support these hopefully provide alternative avenues if you feel unable to contact anyone in hall. Whether hall staff or alternative support provision, please do seek professional help and do gain understanding of the risks you face.

EXTERNAL SOURCES OF HELP & ADVICE
Help with alcohol use concerns
DRINKAWARE: Sensible drinking tips & help with alcohol problems - www.drinkaware.co.uk 

DRINK SMARTER: Sensible drinking tips & help with alcohol problems - www.drinksmarter.org/drinkline - 0800 7 314 314 

CAMDEN ALCOHOL SERVICE: Individual and group counselling sessions and advice on alcohol related problems - http://bit.ly/XHnhCv - 020 3227 4950 

FOUNDATION 66: Individual sessions with people under 23 who have concerns about alcohol use - http://bit.ly/UspAf3  


Help with drug use concerns
VITAL INFORMATION PACK: Lots of information about drugs, including what first aid you should give if a friend gets unwell after using drugs - http://bit.ly/1cd2oYb  

DRUGS RECOGNITION & EMERGENCY FIRST AID: This leaflet will help you if you're worried about a friend who might be using drugs, and show you how to help them in an emergency - http://bit.ly/OpCfAq

TALK TO FRANK: The National Drugs Helpline - www.talktofrank.com - 0300 123 6600 - Text 82111

DRUGSLINE: Support, counselling and information about drugs - www.drugsline.org - 0808 1 606 606

LONDON FRIEND ANTIDOTE: The UK’s only LGB&T run and targeted drug and alcohol support service - http://bit.ly/WZwFlN - 020 7833 1674 

CAMDEN DRUGS & ALCOHOL ACTION TEAM: Individual and group sessions to help with alcohol and drugs issues - http://bit.ly/1bYrTlx - 020 7974 2915

Cannabis & smoking

A handful of residents have received a personal communication today about suspected cannabis use in their area of the Hall. Whilst we have identified a few areas where we need to exercise particular vigilance, some of the information in that letter is relevant to everyone in Hall:

Cannabis smoking seems to be a much more prevalent problem this year that it has been for a long time. Section 8 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 requires me as Warden to take action where I have reason to suspect that controlled drugs are being used illegally within the Hall: I commit a criminal offence if I allow this to continue. 

It can be difficult to pin down exactly which room the smell is coming from. I do not want to see a situation where members of staff are knocking on everyone’s door until they find the culprit: for at this stage, I consider such action to be unduly intrusive for everyone concerned. So, for now, the cleaners have been instructed to be extra vigilant for signs of smoking and cannabis use, and to report all suspicions to me. The Senior Members, likewise, will monitor for signs of cannabis use on their daily duty rounds. 

If you are in the great majority of residents who do not smoke or use cannabis in Hall, then I urge you to exert what peer pressure you can to discourage smoking on your corridor and by your friends, and to report to me (in confidence, of course) if you know who or suspect is responsible. 

If you are not using cannabis in Hall, you can stop reading now; if you are using cannabis, please read on. 


If you are smoking in Hall and/or using cannabis here, please STOP immediately.

Consider the following:

1. The Intercollegiate Halls of Residence Licence Agreement prohibits both smoking and the use of cannabis:

9.5 You must not take part in any illegal activities.

9.6 You must not use illegal drugs.

9.7 All the halls operate a strict non-smoking policy which includes the interior of the accommodation and covers the balconies (where applicable) and the courtyard areas in some halls. Please check the individual hall handbooks for confirmation. For avoidance of doubt, smoking whilst leaning out of windows is not permitted.

2. The Connaught Hall Residents’ Handbook includes this warning:

Drugs & discipline: Unauthorised possession and use of controlled drugs is illegal and is a serious disciplinary offence.

Residents using or possessing illegal drugs in Hall, or allowing others to use or possess them in Hall, are liable to be dismissed without notice and may have the matter referred to their college or to the police. Any guests will be required to leave immediately.

Anyone found to be supplying drugs in Hall will be reported immediately to the police and required to leave the Hall within 24 hours.

3. The Law: Cannabis is a Class B drug in the UK – it is illegal to possess cannabis or supply others – and you can still be arrested for possession.

The penalty for possession is up to five years in jail. Supplying someone else (which includes giving it away to friends) can get you fourteen years and an unlimited fine.

If the police catch you with cannabis, they’ll always take some action. This could be a warning, a reprimand, a formal caution, a fixed penalty or an arrest and possible conviction. A conviction for a drug-related offence could have a pretty serious impact. It can stop you visiting certain countries – for example the United States – and limit the types of jobs you can apply for.

4. The Residents’ Handbook warns against smoking in Hall:

Smoking damages paintwork, furniture, curtains, and carpets. If we find evidence of smoking in your room, an extra cleaning charge of £50 will be deducted from your damage deposit.

Cigarette smoke can set off the smoke detector in your room. Anyone who causes a false alarm in this way will be interviewed by the Warden.

YOU MUST NEVER COVER YOUR SMOKE DETECTOR.

Covering smoke detectors is a criminal offence and seriously jeopardises our fire safety arrangements and the lives of all our residents. Breach of these rules will constitute serious misconduct as defined in the Licence Agreement. Sanctions may include expulsion or a fine of up to £250.

5. Cannabis smoke has a much greater propensity to set off the fire alarm than does plain tobacco smoke.


6. Some health facts about cannabis from Frank:

• Cannabis can cause feelings of anxiety, suspicion, panic and paranoia.
• Regular cannabis use is associated with an increase in the risk of later developing psychotic illnesses including schizophrenia.
• Regular use makes it difficult to learn and concentrate; research has linked cannabis use to poor exam results. This is a potentially serious risk if you’re young, when the brain is still developing. People who take a lot of cannabis can also find they lack motivation.
• Smoking cannabis can make asthma worse, can cause wheezing in people without asthma and can lead to lung cancer, coughs, chest infections, and heart disease.
• Frequent use of cannabis may affect fertility.

7. I see drug use as a health & welfare matter, not purely a disciplinary issue. If you are concerned about your own or a friend’s drug use, either in Hall or elsewhere, please approach me in confidence. If you come to me genuinely seeking help, I will offer the confidential support you need in a non-judgmental way. If, on the other hand, we “catch” you using drugs, I will pursue a serious misconduct investigation.


As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other matter.

Contact details of organisations that can help with information, advice, and treatment for drug and smoking-related problems

Health	NHS CHOICES & NHS 111 High quality information about health conditions both online and over the telephone	www.nhs.uk
		www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
		111
	HELPGUIDE “Helps you to help yourself with health challenges”	www.helpguide.org
Alcohol, drugs & smoking	TALK TO FRANK The National Drugs Helpline	www.talktofrank.com
		0800 77 66 00
	DRUGSLINE Support, counselling and information about drugs	www.drugsline.org
		0808 1 606 606
	SMOKEFREE NHS help to stop smoking	smokefree.nhs.uk
		0800 022 4 332
Mental wellbeing	LONDON NIGHTLINE Student volunteers offering telephone support	020 7631 0101
		www.nightline.org.uk
	MIND Support for people with mental health problems	www.mind.org.uk
		0300 123 3393
	CENTRE FOR ADDICTION & MENTAL HEALTH	bit.ly/LGM7we

Cannabis & smoking

I have been made aware recently of several complaints about the smell of cannabis smoke along corridors in the Hall, or coming in through windows from rooms below or either side.

 

It is difficult to prove that smoke is from cannabis rather than tobacco, even if most of us can recognise the difference. Because cannabis is so strong-smelling and diffuses very widely, it can also be very difficult to pin down exactly which room the smell is coming from. I do not want to see a situation where members of staff walk along corridors knocking on everyone’s door until they find the culprit, as I feel this is unduly intrusive for everyone concerned.

 

In light of recent complaints, however, I should like to draw everyone’s attention to the following.

 

1. The Intercollegiate Halls of Residence Licence Agreement 2012-3 prohibits both smoking and the use of cannabis:

 

9.6 You must not use illegal drugs. 

9.7 All the halls operate a strict non-smoking policy which includes the interior of the accommodation and covers the balconies (where applicable) and the courtyard areas in some halls. Please check the individual hall handbooks for confirmation. For avoidance of doubt, smoking whilst leaning out of windows is not permitted.

 

2. The Connaught Hall Residents’ Handbook v. 4.0.4 includes this warning:

 

14.5.2 Drugs & discipline: Unauthorised possession and use of controlled drugs is illegal and is a serious disciplinary offence. Residents using or possessing illegal drugs in Hall, or allowing others to use or possess them in Hall, are liable to be dismissed without notice and may have the matter referred to their college or to the police. Any guests will be required to leave immediately. Anyone found to be supplying drugs in Hall will be reported immediately to the police and required to leave the Hall within 24 hours.

 

3. The Law: Cannabis is a Class B drug in the UK – it is illegal to possess cannabis or supply others – and you can still be arrested for possession.

 

The penalty for possession is up to five years in jail. Supplying someone else (which includes giving it away to friends) can get you fourteen years and an unlimited fine. 

If the Police catch you with cannabis, they’ll always take some action. This could be a warning, a reprimand, a formal caution, a fixed penalty or an arrest and possible conviction. A conviction for a drug-related offence could have a pretty serious impact. It can stop you visiting certain countries – for example the United States – and limit the types of jobs you can apply for.

 

4. The Residents’ Handbook warns against smoking in Hall (section 15.5):

 

Smoking damages paintwork, furniture, curtains, and carpets. If we find evidence of smoking in your room, an extra cleaning charge of £50 will be deducted from your damage deposit. 

Cigarette smoke can set off the smoke detector in your room. Anyone who causes a false alarm in this way will be interviewed by the Warden. If you smoke in your room and cover your smoke detector to avoid being caught, you will place yourself at risk of expulsion from the Hall.

 

5. Cannabis smoke has a much greater propensity to set off the fire alarm than does plain tobacco smoke.

 

 

6. Some health facts about cannabis from FRANK:

• Cannabis can cause feelings of anxiety, suspicion, panic and paranoia.
• Regular cannabis use is associated with an increase in the risk of later developing psychotic illnesses including schizophrenia.
• Regular use makes it difficult to learn and concentrate; research has linked cannabis use to poor exam results. This is a potentially serious risk if you’re young, when the brain is still developing. People who take a lot of cannabis can also find they lack motivation.
• Smoking cannabis can make asthma worse, can cause wheezing in people without asthma and can lead to lung cancer, coughs, chest infections, and heart disease.
• Frequent use of cannabis may affect fertility.

 

7. I see drug use as a health & welfare matter, not purely a disciplinary issue. If you are concerned about your own or a friend’s drug use, either in Hall or elsewhere, please approach me in confidence. If you come to me genuinely seeking help, I will offer the confidential support you need in a non-judgmental way. If, on the other hand, we “catch” you using drugs, I will pursue a disciplinary route and push for your expulsion.

 

 

Given the sharp rise in complaints about this matter recently, we cannot allow things to continue as they are.

 

​If you are smoking in Hall and/or using cannabis here, please STOP immediately.

 

The cleaners have been instructed to be vigilant for signs of smoking and cannabis use in every room, and to report all suspicions to me. The Senior Members, likewise, will monitor for signs of cannabis use on their daily duty rounds.

 

If you are in the great majority of residents who do not smoke or use cannabis in Hall, then I urge you to exert what peer pressure you can to discourage smoking on your corridor and by your friends, and to report to me if you know who is responsible.

 

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or concerns about this or any other matter.

 

 

Contact details of organisations that can help with information, advice, and treatment for drug and smoking-related problems

Health	NHS CHOICES & NHS DIRECT High quality information about health conditions both online and over the telephone	www.nhs.uk
		www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
		0845  4647
	HELPGUIDE “Helps you to help yourself with health challenges”	www.helpguide.org
Alcohol, drugs & smoking	TALK TO FRANK The National Drugs Helpline	www.talktofrank.com
		0800 77 66 00
	DRUGSLINE Support, counselling and information about drugs	www.drugsline.org
		0808 1 606 606
	SMOKEFREE NHS help to stop smoking	smokefree.nhs.uk
		0800 022 4 332
Mental wellbeing	LONDON NIGHTLINE Student volunteers offering telephone support	020 7631 0101
		www.nightline.org.uk
	MIND Support for people with mental health problems	www.mind.org.uk
		0300 123 3393
	CENTRE FOR ADDICTION & MENTAL HEALTH	bit.ly/LGM7we