Student nightclub initiates measures to combat growing drug issue

Academi is the student hotspot of Bangor | Credit - Bangor University, 2024

Freshers Week is one of the biggest weeks of a student’s life, despite being the scariest.

Moving away from home for the first time to a new place can be extremely overwhelming.

Whilst being overwhelming, the first thing most new students do is scout out the local nightclubs and visit these with their newfound friends in their new home.

Nightclubs have always been a hotspot for students; hopeful students always look forward to their new home’s nightlife.

Despite being a local spot for new and returning university students, issues regarding drug usage are high within the student population.

Academi, Bangor University’s student nightclub, has implemented many tactics in order to tackle drug usage within its premises.

Academi is Bangor’s only student nightclub, providing free entry to students living in the university’s halls of residence and discounted entry for members of sponsored teams; it remains the student capital of the city.

In terms of looking out for drugs and drug usage, Ash James, Operations Manager at Academi, has said: ‘In place we have random searching and then enough security staff so that the security staff can monitor people in the club and random toilet checks and things like that’.

Following recent campaigns such as ‘Girls Night In’ and ‘Reclaim the Night’, Academi has added bottle stoppers and protective cup lips to prevent drink spiking.

Ash James, Director of Academi, has said: ‘Drug spiking is a real big concern for Bangor; we have been pretty proactive in terms of what we’re doing in terms of drug spiking.

‘The last few years, drug spiking has become a real hot topic and really scary for people, especially young people going out.

‘We do spike testing; we randomly test drinks throughout the night, and we offer this for anyone who feels their drink may have been spiked.

‘We also offer the lids and bottle stoppers as a way to hopefully stop people dropping things into people's drinks.’

Drugs have become a prevalent issue within the student community and usage rises a staggering amount during ‘Fresher’s Week’.

However, using these preventive measures, Academi assures students that the club is a safe space for students and encourages them to get their drinks tested if they feel they have been spiked.