NC State established the first chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy this semester, thanks to the efforts of Brian Messina, a junior studying psychology and sociology. SSDP is a student-led organization with the goal of ending the War on Drugs. 

“Obviously that is a pretty hefty goal, so we’re working on a smaller scale and looking to change campus policies,” Messina said. 

Other goals of SSDP include spreading awareness about NC State›s Good Samaritan policy, drug education and harm reduction, reducing the stigma around drug addiction on campus and encouraging honest and open discussions about drug use. 

The Technician sat down with Messina to talk about how he came to be at the helm of SSDP, as well as its impact on campus and his plans for the future of the group. 

What kinds of things are you guys looking to do to change policies on campus? What are the current policies? 

We would like to see a change to the housing policy that mandates eviction after the first drug marijuana offense. Ideally, the discipline policy for other drugs would closely resemble the discipline policy for alcohol.

You said you want to decriminalize all drugs. Do you really mean all drugs?

Yes, all drugs. Though some drugs are undeniably high-risk and potentially harmful, criminalization is not an effective way of deterring drug use. Drug addiction is a mental health issue and should not be treated as a criminal problem. 

What is NC State’s Good Samaritan policy?

NC State’s Good Samaritan policy states that in the event of an alcohol overdose, neither the individual who has overdosed or the individual who calls 911 will face consequences, provided that they call 911 for help.

What are you doing to accomplish your goal of harm reduction and reducing the stigma around drug addiction?

We plan to educate the campus community about the safest ways to use drugs, and serve as an outlet for harm reduction knowledge. Drug use is a reality on college campuses, so we are doing what we can to help students make safe choices about their use. We want to facilitate an open discussion about drug use, and show the campus community that responsible and safe drug use is possible. Though we only hear about horror stories of addiction and overdose, the majority of drug users use responsibly and safely.

What got you into all of this?

I have personally seen the harmful effects that the War on Drugs has had on individuals around me, and wanted to take action to make drug policies more sensible, and end the War on Drugs. Lives are being ruined for nonviolent offenses, and people are dying everyday as a result of the War on Drugs.  

How do you hope to see this group grow within the next year?

I hope to a see our chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy facilitate drug education, harm reduction and activism both on and off campus. I’m looking forward to seeing many more students participate in a more honest and open discussion of drug use on campus.