Students for Harm Reduction
Students For Harm Reduction support the activist work of people who use substances. In absence of a safe supply and adequately funded harm reduction and social services, the overdose crisis has become a leading cause of death for young people in Canada. This campaign promotes education about harm reduction on campus and safe supply systems, and works to ensure a more compassionate understanding of this crisis impacting Toronto Metropolitan University students and students across Canada.
We will work together to end the war on people who use drugs by amplifying student voices advocating for decriminalization strategies that do not punish people who use substances. The drug war has cost many, many lives and created a system in which society selectively criminalizes and incarcerates people who use drugs that are Black, Indigenous, people of colour, people who are homeless or poor, and people who have mental health illnesses.
Some of the principles of Harm Reduction are:
- Respect the rights of people who use drugs
- Commitment to social justice with networks of people who use drugs (Nothing about us without us)
- Dismantle stigma surrounding drug use
- Meet people where they are at.
On Campus
If you are looking for immediate support or ways to get involved, the TMU Student Wellbeing department also operates annual initiatives like Safer Choices Week and features dedicated health promoters to provide non-judgmental spaces and peer-led conversations about substance use. Additionally, TMU’s Community Safety and Security (CSS) team provides 24/7 medical response coverage across campus locations.
