After the devastating news this weekend of the death of four young people, including two students at Newcastle University due to drug related incidents, it has been made very clear that the availability of free drug testing kits being made easily accessible to young people would drastically reduce the risk of another tragedy like this reoccurring.

Drug testing kits are able to detect dangerous substances in drugs that can be potentially life threatening and this will allow those who choose to take drugs to be better equipped and have a greater understanding of what they are putting into their bodies, leading them to make a more educated, and therefore safer, decision.

The Students' Union have a responsibility to make sure that university students stay safe and therefore we believe that the SU is the ideal place to offer these testing kits, much like free condoms and STI kits are made available to encourage safe sex. The SU is accessible to all students and has the ability to make picking up a drug testing kit free, easy and anonymous.

Understandably, the safest way to take drugs is to not take them at all, however we know that people still choose to do them and in 2018, the National Union of Students found that around 2 in 5 students have taken drugs.

This demonstrates just how many people are at risk every year and how many lives can be saved by offering these tests for free. In no way will the availability of tests encourage more people to take drugs, but it will make it much more safe for the thousands of students who choose to.