Clubs & Societies

Students for Sensible Drug Policy

Mission Statement

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an international grassroots network of students who are concerned about the impact drug abuse has on our communities, but who also know that the War on Drugs is failing our generation and our society.

SSDP mobilizes and empowers young people to participate in the political process, pushing for sensible policies to achieve a safer and more just future, while fighting back against counterproductive Drug War policies, particularly those that directly harm students and youth.

Values Statement

Students for Sensible Drug Policy neither encourages nor condemns drug use. Rather, we seek to reduce the harms caused by drug abuse and drug policies. As young people, we strive toward a just and compassionate society where drug abuse is treated as a health issue instead of a criminal justice issue. We recognize that the very real harms of drug abuse are not adequately addressed by current policies and we advocate measures that would effectively help those who develop drug problems. Yet, we also believe that individuals must ultimately be allowed to make decisions for themselves as long as their actions do not infringe upon anyone else’s freedoms or safety.

Because the War on Drugs has historically been justified as necessary to protect youth, it is our responsibility as young people to stop this harmful war from being waged in our names any longer. As scholars, we seek solutions to society's drug problems through focused research, honest dialogue, and informed debate, instead of unquestioned extremism, punishment, and propaganda.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy recognises the harm that can be caused by some drugs. But we also realise that the current system of prohibition is ineffective, costly and harmful. We believe that we should regulate and control the supply of all drugs. This would:

Reduce the harm caused by drug abuse and drug policies.
Treat drug abuse as a health issue instead of a criminal justice issue.
Stop the criminalisation of non-violent, innocent people.
Reduce unsafe drug use, as people would know exactly what was in and how strong drugs were.
Stop funding organised criminals, whose only concern is profit and use violence to control the drug trade. Instead drugs would be taxed and millions of pounds would go to the government to be reinvested in drug treatment programs.
Stop wasting police time arresting non-violent drug offenders.
Stop the encroachment of civil liberties and all Individuals to engage in behaviour that doesn’t harm other people.
Seek to solve the drug problem through scientific research and reasoned debate instead of extremism, punishment and propaganda.