Event photographs taken by Nathan Frank.

Our Mission

  • To understand the root causes of benzodiazepine dependence among young people
  • To create a space for young people to vocalise their lived experiences of benzodiazepine use
  • To collaborate with relevant education and service providers to improve their outreach and effectiveness.

Our Vision

To see a world where drug education, support services, and policy are both evidence-based and centred around reducing harm to young people's health and wellbeing.

Board of Trustees

Monica Richards

Co-Project Lead,
Founder

AJ Martin

Co-Project Lead,
Head of Research

Joanna Bright

Founding Trustee

Julie Uszpolewicz

Founding Trustee



The Benzo Research Project (BRP) is an unincorporated charitable association. Though our project was founded in July 2021, the trustees agreed to constitute our organisation in September 2023. Formalising BRP in this way will enable us to run the project smoothly and in line with the Charity Governance Code, secure necessary resources and funding, and better equip us to fulfil our mission.

Click here to read our constitution.
Note: Trustee addresses have been redacted for privacy reasons. If you require the full document, please contact us at hello@brp.org.uk.

"The cancellation of GCSE and A-Level exams, as well as increased unemployment and housing prices has led to feelings of hopelessness and uncertainty, leading to a concerning rise in BZD consumption."
​– Brighton & Hove Safeguarding Children Partnership (BHSCP)

Our research


We have collected 73 anonymous testimonies since March 2022 through our story-sharing platform hosted by our partner Drugs and Me. Testimonies were analysed to provide a clearer picture of young people's lived experiences with benzos, which is detailed in our report. These experiences continue to direct our outreach and harm reduction work.

Find out more.


Our FOI Team sent out over 300 data requests to NHS Trusts and local councils under the Freedom of Information Act (2000). We have collated all contact details and raw responses in a publicly-accessible database. Our Research Team plans to analyse the responses in due course.

Find out more.


​Our report can be found here: 'The Benzo Research Project: An evaluation of non-medical benzodiazepine usage in UK young people (18-25)'.
"There is a need to re-evaluate current strategies of tackling benzo dependence to include context-based methods of harm reduction, increase educational opportunities, and further encourage NGO outreach strategy development."
– AJ Martin, Co-Project Lead
Co-Head of Research and now Co-Project Lead, AJ Martin, speaking at our report launch event – December 2022. Photograph taken by Nathan Frank.
BENZO RESEARCH PROJECT