Drugs & Alcohol Support

RESET Outreach team hold monthly confidential spaces at QMUL. This is a space where you can ask questions about drug and alcohol use, understand treatment and recovery support options in the borough, learn about the current risks in today’s drug market and how to stay safe.

Upcoming clinic dates:

Tuesday 30th September 2025: 2-4pm

Tuesday 28th October 2025: 2-4pm

Tuesday 25th November 2025: 2-4pm

Realising you have a problem with alcohol is the first big step to getting help. You may need help if:

• you often feel the need to have a drink
• you get into trouble because of your drinking
• other people warn you about how much you're drinking
• you think your drinking is causing you problems

Your GP may suggest different types of assessment and support options available to you, such as from local community alcohol services. You can also ask about free local support groups and other alcohol counselling.

Find alcohol addiction support services in your area

If drugs misuse is affecting your wellbeing, your GP can help. They can discuss your health with you and help get you treatment. They will usually refer you to your local drug service. If you're not comfortable talking to a GP, you can approach your local drug treatment service yourself.

Visit the Frank website to find support near you.

The Student Health Service is an NHS GP service provided by Suttons Wharf Health Centre at our Mile End campus. Students living in Queen Mary accommodation at Mile End or Whitechapel and students living in the borough of Tower Hamlets (postcodes E1, E2, E3 and E14) are encouraged to register with the Student Health Service.

If you do not live locally and would like to register with a GP where you live, you can search for a GP surgery. GP surgeries will normally register all international students. You can find information about how to access healthcare as a UK or international student.

As a Queen Mary student you have free access to a 24/7 helpline, as well as an app - called Wisdom – that offers a range of resources to support your wellbeing.

The wisdom app is an app that helps you look after your mental and physical health. It has tools to help you monitor your relationship to alcohol, alongside other health features such as:

• Interactive health and mood tracker – Identify patterns and trends to improve your wellbeing
• Four-week health plans – Set goals and track your daily progress
• Mini mental health checks – Assess how you’re doing and check in with yourself
• Live chat – Connect with a dedicated wellbeing counsellor by chat or video

Download the Wisdom app and enter the code MHA151109 for free access:
👉 Wisdom – Apple App Store
👉 Wisdom – Google Play Store

Need help now?

Call the 24/7 support line on 0800 028 3766 anytime, day or night.

Queen Mary also offers students access to an online support platform called Togetherall. Togetherall is a free, anonymous peer support service where you can talk to others about what’s on your mind. It also includes self-help courses and self-assessment tools to reflect on and manage your drinking habits, along with other wellbeing topics. 

👉 Join Togetherall – just sign up using your Queen Mary email address.

Talk to Frank offers honest information about alcohol, practical tips, and guidance on where to find support.

If you need to talk, you can contact FRANK any time—24/7—at 0300 123 6600 for confidential advice. You can also reach out to FRANK via email, text, or live chat. Prefer speaking to someone in person? Use their website to find local support services near you.

Alcohol Change UK offers information, practical tools, and support to help people cut down or stop drinking. They link individuals to relevant support services and provide advice and resources for families and friends impacted by someone else’s drinking.

Here are some signs that your alcohol or drug use may be concerning:

• You need to use more drugs or alcohol to get the same effect
• You have cravings for drugs or alcohol during the day
• You have physical signs of dependency such as sweating, shaking, insomnia, anxiety or in some cases seizures when you don’t use drugs or alcohol
• Your use of alcohol or drugs is starting to affect your relationships with family and friends
• You are concealing your drug or alcohol use from family and friends
• Your use of drugs and alcohol is affecting your study, attendance at lectures or other commitments
• You are using alcohol or drugs to cope with stress, anxiety or depression
• You notice mood changes, irritability and anxiety and sleep disturbances when not using
• You are forgetting what happened the night before or feel ashamed about your behaviour

Set clear goals & limits

• Decide on number of drinks you’ll have and stick to it
• Use drink tracker apps (e.g. drinkaware) to monitor consumption, e.g. MyDrinkaware App | Drinkaware
• Set non-drinking days each week

Practice low risk drinking

• Eat before and while drinking
• Alternate between alcohol and non-alcohol drinks
• Choose lower alcohol options (e.g. beer instead of spirits)
• Avoid drinking games and rounds – as you end up drinking faster and more without realising!

Handle Peer Pressure Confidently

• Prepare a few ways to say no politely but firmly
• Surround yourself with people who respect your boundaries.

Plan Alcohol Free Activities

• Join clubs or activities that aren’t centred on drinking, e.g. hiking, movie nights

Healthy ways to manage stress

• Practice yoga, running, arts and crafts, dance classes etc.

Use the online tool at Honest information about drugs | FRANK to select any combination of drugs and find out the harms of mixing.

Here’s the signs to look out for:

• Feeling sick, anxious or shaky when you stop taking it
• Spending all your money or student loan on buying recreational drugs
• Feeling like you can’t cope without the drug, it controls your day, you ‘need it’
• Using recreational drugs alone or during daily routine
• Having injuries like bruises or cuts but not remembering where they came from
• Blackouts, confusion and trouble remembering what happened whilst taking drugs or drinking
• Feeling embarrassed or ashamed about drug taking, hiding when you use drugs
• Not being able to sleep or socialise without taking recreational drugs
• Needing more of the drug to feel the same effects

 There are lots of options for support when you are feeling this way. Sometimes it helps to talk to people you feel safe with and who care about you, this might be your friends, family, your GP. The university works with external organisations to provide specialist support, this can be over the phone, by text, live chat, email or in person.

Spiking is giving someone alcohol or drugs without them knowing or agreeing, for example, in their drink or with a needle.

Spiking can happen to anyone, anywhere. It can be carried out by strangers or by people you know.

If you think you have been spiked, support is available. Our spiking support page offers information about your options. 

Report + Support

https://reportandsupport.qmul.ac.uk/support/what-should-i-do-if-i-think-someone-has-been-spiked

Victim support

https://www.victimsupport.org.uk/