Latest student behaviors and perspectives of alcohol and drugs in higher education

Our wellbeing work aims to support universities and colleges to take a holistic approach in creating healthy and inclusive cultures on campuses around drugs and alcohol.​ Our vision for the future is that all campus cultures will be rooted in drug and alcohol harm reduction, and that students will feel empowered to seek support without the fear of punishment.

Since the Students, Alcohol and Drugs Survey began in 2021, we’ve been collecting data on students’ behaviours, knowledge and perceptions of student drug use and alcohol. This ensures that the Drug and Alcohol Impact programme, and our wider work on student wellbeing and harm reduction on campus, is data-driven, student-focussed and truly reflective of student needs and views.

In November and December 2025, 10,561 students in higher education participated in the Students, Alcohol and Drugs Survey nationally. The report covers the following areas:

• Patterns and practices of student drug and alcohol use, and the impacts of this on students
• Perceptions of student drug and alcohol use, including views from students who do not use drugs or alcohol
• Awareness and impact of advice, support and university policies related to student drug and alcohol us

Some key findings from our 2025-26 Students, Alcohol and Drugs Survey include:

• Around 1 in 5 students (19%) reported currently using drugs, and around 3 in 4 students (73%) reported currently drinking alcohol
• Most respondents (77%) report that they think their university should provide support to students who take drugs, however 1 in 4 (23%) don’t know anything about the advice and support available at their university.
• A third of students (35%) are aware of communications at their university related to staying safe while drinking alcohol, and a quarter of students (25%) are aware of communications at their university related to reducing the risk of harm while using drugs.
• Some respondents report impacts on their relationships and studies during or after taking drugs. Nearly half report that they have made new friends (45%) or became closer to existing friends or family (41%), while 1 in 5 (21%) report missing a university seminar, lecture or class.
• Nearly half of respondents (44%) say they have experienced not being able to remember what happened the night before because of consuming alcohol.

With the release of our most recent Students, Alcohol and Drugs survey findings, we must highlight the Drug and Alcohol Impact programme, our accreditation programme for universities and students’ unions working in partnership, which embeds harm reduction approaches to alcohol and drug use, supporting healthier, safer, and more supportive student communities.

The programme is recommended as a next step in the Universities UK sector-wide guidance, ‘enabling student health and success’, which was released July 2024 and advocates for the higher education sector to move towards a harm reduction approach to student drug use.

Read the report to learn more about our findings

If you want to create a healthy and inclusive culture around student drug and alcohol use on your campus?

Read more about Drug and Alcohol Impact

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