Delighted to share the final paper from my PhD which explores how Athens’ Drug Consumption Facility operates and is experienced by people in the local community. lnkd.in/eVymq_kH
This link will take you to a page that’s not on LinkedIn
lnkd.in
Ben Scher
@ben-scher.bsky.social
Lecturer/Postdoc in Global Health @Princeton Center for Health and Wellbeing | Research Affiliate @DSPI_Oxford | Drug Policy, Harm Reduction, OPCs, Low-Barrier Housing
How and why consensus fractured at the 2024 session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs: an exploratory study of international drug policy constellations using social network analysis and qualitative comparative analysis. @deppjournal.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... £0 #OA
How and why consensus fractured at the 2024 session of the UN Commission on narcotic drugs: an exploratory study of international drug policy constellations using social network analysis and qualitati...
Consensus in international drug policy has fractured. It would be useful to explain how and why this occurred.This exploratory study develops and tests theory and methods for describing and explain...
tandfonline.com
Princeton Professor and CHW affiliate @heatherhhoward.bsky.social has been invited to co-chair Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill's Action Team focused on affordable health care. Howard will lead the committee with @chiquitabl.bsky.social '96, Fmr. CMS Administrator. tinyurl.com/597tnztf
New research led by @deannagiraldi.bsky.social finds that impacts of gun violence extend far beyond dominant news statistics. The review analyses 25 years of literature involving survivors, witnesses & their communities. More: dspi.web.ox.ac.uk/article/impa... Full report: doi.org/10.1016/j.la...
Excited to share a new paper out in HRJ where we explore the concept of ‘atmosphere’ within SCS spaces and how it influences service engagement. A huge thanks to my co-authors @bchrisinger.bsky.social, @gwshorter.bsky.social and @dkhumphreys.bsky.social for their support and guidance on this work.
Twelve states will be adding new food restrictions to SNAP next year. I unpack these policies in some new research in Health Affairs Scholar (open access). tl;dr - wide range in food definitions, justifications for restriction, and plans to evaluate. 🥗 🛟 📊🩺
Characteristics of State Waivers to Establish Nutritional Restrictions in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
AbstractIntroduction. States have previously requested permission from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) to implement food item restrictions within t
doi.org
In a recent interview, Postdoctoral Research Associate @ben-scher.bsky.social shares the crux of his research exploring health inequalities, social exclusion, and drug policy, along with his plans for advancing this work at and beyond Princeton. tinyurl.com/2feh6kah
Ben Scher Tackles Health Inequalities and Drug-Related Harm
In a recent interview, Postdoctoral Research Associate Ben Scher shares the crux of his research and plans for advancing this work at and beyond Princeton
tinyurl.com
I’m glad to share a new article published as part of HRJ’s special collection: "Harm Reduction in Europe: Histories, Choices and Hopes." link.springer.com/article/10.1... @gwshorter.bsky.social @dkhumphreys.bsky.social @bchrisinger.bsky.social 1/2
New in the Homelessness series Harm Reduction and Belonging in the Provision of Homelessness Services 12 November 2025 10:00 to 11:00 Online. All welcome. with @ben-scher.bsky.social www.kcl.ac.uk/events/harm-...
Harm Reduction and Belonging in the Provision of Homelessness Services | King's College London
Ben Scher
kcl.ac.uk
This story is interesting, not just because of the Minister's bad faith claims, but also because it illustrates how cities are left to pick up the pieces when provinces play politics with SCS. #harmreduction www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/artic...
Crime rate around Somerset supervised consumption site lower than government suggested when announcing closure
The crime rate around the Somerset West Community Health Centre did not rise to the figures put forward by the provincial government last year when announcing the closure of its supervised consumption...
ctvnews.ca
✨Job Alert ✨ The Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, @yaleschoolofmed.bsky.social, invites applications for a two-year NIDA-funded T32 postdoctoral training program in substance use prevention research. medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/p...
Division of Prevention and Community Research and The Consultation Center
The Division of Prevention and Community Research, Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine invites applications for a two-year NIDA-funded T32
medicine.yale.edu
Congratulations @neftalememanuel.bsky.social, winner of the 2025 Barnett Prize for his paper: ‘Damp Places, Unhappy Faces: Analysing the Impact of Housing Repairs & Maintenance Expenditure on Local Authority Residents Wellbeing in England between 2013-2022’ 👏 www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/barn...
Barnett Prize winner 2025: Neftalem Emanuel
We are delighted to announce this year's Barnett Prize winner, Neftalem Emanuel, for his outstanding contribution to evidence-based social intervention and policy evaluation.
spi.ox.ac.uk
Congratulations Ben!! We look forward to seeing what you do next in your career.
Ben Scher@ben-scher.bsky.social · last yr.I’m over the moon to share that yesterday I completed my DPhil @dspi-oxford.bsky.social 🎉 There are so many thank yous, but firstly to my amazing and unbelievably supportive supervisors @gwshorter.bsky.social @bchrisinger.bsky.social @dkhumphreys.bsky.social 1/4
Come and work with us at @dspi-oxford.bsky.social as a Departmental Lecturer. Role involves teaching qualitative and mixed methods and intervention and evaluation design with time and support to develop your own lines of research. Apply by June 13th: www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNF076/d...
Departmental Lecturer at University of Oxford
Apply for the Departmental Lecturer role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and apply now.
jobs.ac.uk
I’m over the moon to share that yesterday I completed my DPhil @dspi-oxford.bsky.social 🎉 There are so many thank yous, but firstly to my amazing and unbelievably supportive supervisors @gwshorter.bsky.social @bchrisinger.bsky.social @dkhumphreys.bsky.social 1/4
🚨 Proud supervisor alert 🚨 One my 1st PhD students just passed his viva! Give @ben-scher.bsky.social a follow for rigorous qualitative + participant-centered #HarmReduction research. s/o to amazing co-sup team @gwshorter.bsky.social @dkhumphreys.bsky.social @dspi-oxford.bsky.social 🛟 #academicsky
Glasgow's supervised drug consumption facility was accessed 2,691 times in its first 4 months, with 30 medical emergencies attended too There's huge unmet nationwide demand for SDCF/OPCs, proven to reduce harm, save lives & facilitate service access pharmaceutical-journal.com/article/news... 1/
UK’s first safer drug consumption facility accessed more than 2,500 times in first four months, data show
The UK’s first safer drug consumption facility (SDCF) in Glasgow has been accessed 2,691 times during the four months it has been open, according to data published by the Glasgow City Health and Socia...
pharmaceutical-journal.com
“Exploring the need for overdose prevention centers in England: A qualitative community-based participatory study on the perspectives of people who use drugs in public and semi-public environments” by @ben-scher.bsky.social et al (2025) via IJDP. Link: www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
People involved in street-based drug use need places of safety, away from police and public gaze, where they don't have to rush.
Ben Scher@ben-scher.bsky.social · last yr.Very excited to share our new paper in @ijdrugpolicy.bsky.social 🎉 In this paper we look at experiences of people who use drugs in public and semi public drug consumption environments and the need for OPCs in England.
Very excited to share our new paper in @ijdrugpolicy.bsky.social 🎉 In this paper we look at experiences of people who use drugs in public and semi public drug consumption environments and the need for OPCs in England.
First and final in person supervision with @dkhumphreys.bsky.social and @gwshorter.bsky.social, just missing @bchrisinger.bsky.social…come check out Gillian’s talk at Wolfson tonight if you’re in the Oxford area, link 👇
Excited to share my first #PhD paper, now published in @lancetrh-americ.bsky.social 📝 #scopingreview #gunviolence Read more: kwnsfk27.r.eu-west-1.awstrack.me/L0/https://a...
If you are in the Oxford area and interested in drug policy, come catch @gwshorter.bsky.social who will be giving a guest lecture on the evidence-base surrounding overdose prevention centres 🎉 🗓️ Thursday 1st of May ⏰ 6pm-7pm 📍Wolfson College www.wolfson.ox.ac.uk/event/from-s...
From Street to Safety: Exploring the How and Why of Overdose Prevention Centres - Wolfson College
Dr. Gillian Shorter is a leading researcher in drug policy, whose work has significantly advanced the empirical and policy understanding of overdose prevention centres (OPCs). Her contributions includ...
wolfson.ox.ac.uk
Great interview Ben! It's wonderful to see @ssa-addiction.bsky.social funded PhD students talk about the importance of the evidence base, providing informed thought and responding so generously to curiosity about such a complex area.
Ben Scher@ben-scher.bsky.social · last yr.
Is the UK shifting its approach to drug policy? Why is drug policy more important than ever in today's geopolitics? What does global evidence say about OPCs? It was great to join Sam Lewis from the Human Condition Podcast to discuss these questions...check out our full discussion below 👇
Just out in #HarmReductionJournal: another article from our realist review of international evidence on overdose prevention centres (AKA drug consumption rooms, supervised injecting facilities), showing how and for whom they work #harmreduction #OPCPrep 1/7 links.springernature.com/f/a/hWOfNJIE...
Excited to share the first empirical paper from my PhD just out in the @cjphrcsp.bsky.social 🎉 A huge thank you to @bchrisinger.bsky.social @dkhumphreys.bsky.social and @gwshorter.bsky.social for their support on this research.
Oxford University Rugby Football Club will be sending 23 players from the Women's team and 23 from the Men's team to take to the turf at the StoneX Stadium on Saturday 8th March. Find out more and get your tickets here ⬇️
Varsity | OURFC
Get your tickets to the Varsity Matches 2025! OURFC are also organising coach transport to get supporters to StoneX quickly and cheaply, which you can book here. Get ready for a festival of university...
ourfc.org
The long-awaited evaluation of Project ADDER is now out, and makes fascinating reading for all with a concern for illicit drug problems in England and Wales. A thread: 1/? ttps://www.gov.uk/government/publications/project-adder-impact-evaluation/project-adder-impact-evaluation#key-findings
Project ADDER: Impact evaluation
gov.uk