Nottingham cracks down on student druggies

Nottingham students have been fined over £30,000 for drug-related offences in the last two academic years.

As part of its campaign to weed out drug users, the University has imposed an increasing number of financial punishments upon its students.

A Freedom of Information request made by The Tab revealed that the University of Nottingham imposed £15,005 worth of fines in 2011/12 for drug violations on and off University Park.

In 2012/13 this increased to £16,155, an amount which was charged for offences committed on campus only.

Notts smoking out the stoners

A third-year Physics student was fined £150 when he was caught smoking weed as a fresher in Derby Hall.

He said: “I cut down quite a lot after, but I think I still did it quite a few times. The teacher who caught me let me keep my bag of weed, I finished it that night in my room.”

Another student said that the threat of a heavy fine also doesn’t prevent him from lighting up.

“It stops me from doing it in bait places and it definitely makes you think where you’re going to smoke it,” he said. “But it doesn’t discourage the use.”

Although the 18 year-old, who spends around £140 a month on cannabis, said “quite a few” of his friends have been caught by the police, he doesn’t know anyone who has been caught by the university.

According to The Tab’s drug survey from May 2013, Nottingham is the UK’s 11th ‘druggiest’ university, with 72% of students saying they have tried some form of recreational drug.

From The Tab’s drug survey

The survey also revealed that, unsurprisingly, Philosophy is the most popular subject for drug users, after a staggering 87% of philosophers admitted to lighting up at one point.

The news comes hours after two students were chucked out of Willoughby Hall for drug use, according to Impact.

A University spokesman said: “The University of Nottingham is clear that conduct which constitutes a criminal offence represents a breach of its Code of Discipline for Students, and such behaviour can often attract a significant penalty. The University takes the use of illegal drugs seriously and always takes action where a student is found in possession of such substances.”