A university could ask its students to agree to a "psychological or verbal no drugs contract" in a bid to make drug-taking “socially unacceptable.” The scheme was prompted by the news that over half of students take illegal drugs.

Diana Blamires, Publicity Manager for Buckingham University told RT that students could be asked to agree to a "psychological or verbal no drugs contract."

It comes after Sir Anthony Seldon, the vice-chancellor of Buckingham University, wrote a piece for the MailOnline accusing higher education bosses of lacking “moral leadership” on the issue of illegal drug-taking by students on campuses, claiming they were in part to blame for the epidemic.

“I began to ask myself what kind of moral leadership we university leaders were providing in colluding in the mass consumption of illegal drugs on our premises, with half and more students taking them?” Seldon wrote.

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Buckingham University currently permits the police and sniffer-dogs on campus to deter use, but they hope its “compassionate policy” and support for those who want to stop using drugs will create a change in culture.

Sir Anthony, The Buckingham University boss, said that a student ‘no drugs’ contract could be formulated and that anyone found to be repeatedly using or dealing drugs would be thrown out.

“We are working towards a student-framed contract pledging to our values and no drug taking. Old fashioned maybe. But never more needed.

“Any students who don't respect our policy, who repeatedly use drugs or who deal drugs, will be asked to leave,” Sir Anthony said.

It comes as Sheffield University were criticized for providing students with a step-by-step guide on how to take drugs “safely” on their website. It tells students who take drugs with a needle not to “inject alone” and gives instructions about crushing MDMA and how long to wait before “considering redosing.”

In April, research undertaken by the National Union of Students and Release, a drug information charity, involving 3,000 students, found that 56 percent of young people had taken drugs at some point, while 39 percent admitted they were currently using substances.

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But a follow-up survey, commissioned by the Higher Education Policy Institute and Buckingham University, and carried out by the research company YouthSight, found the numbers were much lower. 25 percent of students who participated in the survey had taken drugs during the past year.

The survey revealed that male students were more likely to have used drugs. 68 percent of males said they had not used drugs, compared with 74 percent of female students. Around 40 percent of all students said there was a problem with drugs at their university, but slightly more – 44 percent – said there was not.

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