Vision
A world where youth are empowered to drive meaningful change in drug policy and combat the harms caused by the war on drugs.
We neither condone nor condemn drug use. Instead we promote youth civic engagement as a powerful tool for reform.
Who we are
A generation that refused to be policed out of the conversation.
SSDP International is the global youth-led movement working to end the war on drugs and build a world where drug policy is grounded in evidence, human rights and public health.
We were founded by young people who refused to accept a policy regime that criminalised their peers, denied them honest information, and locked them out of the rooms where decisions were made. That is still the work: get young people into those rooms, and make sure they are heard when they arrive.
30
Countries with SSDP presence
2004
Year the student movement began
100%
Youth-led governance
0
Young people we write off
Mission
To promote youth civic engagement and develop leaders who advocate for change based on justice, liberty and compassion.
Find your pathwayOur objectives
Four commitments we are measured against.
Advocacy and policy reform
We push for reform at local, national and international levels: harm reduction, decriminalisation and evidence-based approaches to drug use.
Youth empowerment and leadership
We train the next generation of reformers with resources, mentorship and real opportunities to lead campaigns.
Education and awareness
We tell the truth about drug policy, promote harm reduction, and dismantle the myths and stigma that keep people unsafe.
International collaboration
We build partnerships with organisations, advocacy groups and policymakers so youth voices carry further than any one chapter could.
How we work
Chapters on the ground, evidence in the room.
Our chapters run harm reduction outreach, campus campaigns and community education where they live. Our international team turns that lived experience into submissions, delegations and research that reach the UN, regional bodies and national governments.
Everything we publish is sourced, dated and open. Everything we decide is governed by young people with a board that answers to the network, not the other way around.