🗣️In our latest blog, @bethmeadows.bsky.social discusses her research into LGBTQIA+ communities and alcohol-free nightlife spaces and explores the potential for these spaces as well as the barriers they may face. #PrideMonth shaap.org.uk/are-you-bein...

Fantastic to see Prof. Antonio Lyon from NZ singing the praises of qualitative, narrative, lived and living experience voice at #KBS2025

"In short, ours is a plea for a shared mission, for the humility and courage to recognise that we require new ways of discussing, delivering and improving the nation’s health and creating sustainable health care and social care systems for the future." www.scotsman.com/health/an-op...

Good to be presenting reflections from final evaluation of Minimum Pricing for Alcohol Wales #kbs2025 with @andyperkins.bsky.social

This mini series highlights the power of transformation through peer led organisation www.recoveryvoices.info/nwrc-10-year...

A further (final) reply to the 'positive stigma' debate (DM if you need full text), myself and @jamesnicholls.bsky.social The complexity of stigma demands nuanced debate www.tandfonline.com/eprint/69FCR...

I caught this programme yesterday on Radio 4. It's unusual to have such a detailed and extensive discussion of problems related to #drugs on a major radio network. 1/3 www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

⭐ This Wednesday ⭐ Academi Heddwch Cyrmu (AHC) is Wales’s National Peace Institute and the only national peace institute in the UK. This lecture will explore what it means to be a nation of peace, why Wales should become one, and how it can do so 🕊 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wales-as-a...

Is there such a thing as good stigma? Dr James Morris unpacks this idea in his latest blog, exploring why stigma, even when well-intentioned, causes harm. It doesn’t prevent behaviour, it prevents connection. Read more via our website 👇 zurl.co/Hbj4W

The latest 'Alcohol Explained' video from @ias.org.uk focuses on Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol, with contributions from me and @victimofmaths.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3EX...

After 27 years as CEO of Kaleidoscope, Martin Blakebrough officially stepped down last Friday. 🎤👋 He joined BBC Radio to reflect on the organisation’s journey, the challenges and milestones, and what the future might hold. 🎧 Catch the full interview here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

🚨 Join us for a vital discussion on Substances of Concern 🚨 🗓 4 June 2025 🕛 12:00–13:30 📍 Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay 📩 RSVP: [email protected] #SubstancesOfConcern #HarmReduction #DrugPolicy #PublicHealth #CardiffEvents

So delighted that this paper has been published today (it's been a very long time coming!). We synthesised nine qualitative studies to understand peer workers' experiences and the key components of their role. Now published in BMC Public Health!

A new study led by ARG’s own Anthony Surace, PhD explores why alcohol use spiked during the pandemic, highlighting stress, isolation, and shifting social norms as major contributors. arg.org/news/new-stu...

If you're interested in alcohol issues and haven't yet read it, please have a look at my blog below and share any thoughts!

Registration is now open for our 2025 Alcohol Occasional seminar series! You can register for all four seminars here: bit.ly/427yFB9

Always a good gig

There is an excellent piece about the life and work of Professor Nick Heather in @psychmag.bsky.social tinyurl.com/42z6xttk. @jamesmorris24.bsky.social and Niamh Fitzgerald describe him as a "passionate, principled man" and a "true giant of the alcohol and addiction field".

Great to see the elephant in the room being aired

🚨You can now register for the 2025 SHAAP/ @sarnalcohol.bsky.social Alcohol Occasionals! 🗣️First up, we have Dr Carly Lightowlers who will be presenting on "Court-enforced Alcohol Abstinence: Does it Reduce Reoffending?" Book your ticket now 👇 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/alcohol-oc...

Congratulations Jasmine Warren on another excellent paper from her PhD, that I was lucky enough to co-supervise with @abirose9.bsky.social and others. This one is a qualitative look at the relationship between alcohol use and the menstrual cycle. www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

Thanks also to @amypennay.bsky.social and @birdmichael.bsky.social for this great commentary. It's been fantastic to read such constructive and insightful responses to our discussion paper 🙏 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Reminder that Badenoch’s leadership campaign was part-funded by a board member at Chevron, one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies. www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Today is World Social Work Day! Did you know, we have a small but mighty team in Social Work that has a wealth of experience working with experts by experience and vulnerable populations & leads with an ethos of social inclusion. Meet the team and look at their work. wrexham.ac.uk/research/our...

Latest opioid dependence prevalence estimates for Scotland published today. publichealthscotland.scot/media/32049/...

In case you missed it... Prof. Holloway from University of South Wales & Prof. Livingston from Wrexham Uni published in The Conversation. After five years of research, the team outline some of their prominent findings: theconversation.com/minimum-alco... @drwulf.bsky.social @wrexhamuni.bsky.social

Nick Heather's last last book (co-edited with Matt and others) is probably one of the most important in contemporary addiction science. So many great chapters examining many important aspects of this question and it's broader implications www.taylorfrancis.com/books/edit/1...

Great thread from Matt here about the late Nick Heather and some of his many important contributions to addiction science. Nick was one of the first senior researchers I encountered when I started in academia and his kindness and generosity with his time made me feel very welcome in the field.

Now with thread (paper is also open access)

Nice summary of the general dearth of impact. Headlines for ballot box, easy money for some, and disjointed from where it really needed to

Real pleasure to share the 1st 2025 Recovery Voices Interviews with David Best. This is a rich exploration of what is heart of long term sustainable change; Recovery, the how and why of it working, with regard for the roles of communities and social capital. www.recoveryvoices.info/a-conversati...

Lots of thought fodder in the threads here. I am though less surprised by such rising deaths when the economic and social inequalities continue to rise. Another incoming Westminster govt talking benefit cuts, business growth at all costs, bus and train price increases etc can only add fuel on this

We are seeking submissions for a special issue on current issues in cannabis use disorders. Read our call for papers and find out more onlinelibrary.wiley.com/page/journal... Guest editors @jcousijn.bsky.social Tom Freeman and Valentina Lorenzetti

Great read this

A pub in Lidl - who ever knew such a thing was a thing? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

www.recoveryvoices.info/the-power-of... Latest blog on Recovery Voices is a snippet from co-collaborator David Clark, who has been collating stories for a forthcoming book.

3 year tobacco research post at King's - awesome team, awesome work and could not be a more interesting time for research and policy in this area www.timeshighereducation.com/unijobs/list...

Brilliant

Has been a real pleasure to contribute to this new chapter exploring social work research methods through application in a range of published alcohol and other drug studies @pennybuykx.bsky.social @joneale.bsky.social www.elgaronline.com/edcollchap/b...

First share on Blue-sky for this unfunded project of love. Take a peek around if you have time and want to know some more about recovery from alcohol and other drugs, recovery communities, and what works www.recoveryvoices.info

Encouraging start for Glasgow's new Safer Drug Consumption Facility with over 130 uses in its first week: www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/2487264...

Great to see the published end result of years of our joint working. Particularly proud to have led the work on exploring the views and experiences of service providers and drinkers across Wales over the last 5 years. www.gov.wales/assessing-ex...

Thanks to the amazing team that carried out the research inc @arjmcauley.bsky.social, @andyperkins.bsky.social, @kirstentrayner.bsky.social and those who I don’t think are on here yet (please shout if you are!)

The second of Scottish Drugs Forum’s Winter Webinar series 'Young People and Drugs - Early Interventions and Harm Prevention' 📅Wednesday 29 January ⏰13.00 – 14.15 📍Zoom Click the link to find out more information and to register for the webinar: buff.ly/42fTtrY 💻

www.gov.wales/review-intro... This is the final evaluation of Pricing for Alcohol for Wales. A pleasure to work with USW and F8C on this. Personally I have been actively evaluating this for nearly a decade across Scotland and England. A big chunk of my life, has been in this space

An interesting read theconversation.com/alcohol-pres...

Applications are open for the 2025-27 Past & Present Fellowships @ihr.bsky.social are open Applications close on 31st Jan 2025 Fellows appointed will commence on 1st Oct 2025 and be tenable for 24 months Please share with your network www.history.ac.uk/fellowships/...

CFP (by Jan 25): Victorian studies of Ontario Spring Conference 2025 - Victorian Conviviality and Entertainments vsao.apps01.yorku.ca/spring-confe...