🗣️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...

Are you being served? PhD research project exploring alcohol-free nightlife spaces for LGBTQIA+ communities - Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems

In our latest blog, Beth Meadows 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. L...

shaap.org.uk

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...

'Reform is urgent and critical' An open letter from medics on the future of healthcare in Scotland

Leading Scottish health professionals call for ‘reimagining’ of healthcare

scotsman.com

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...

NWRC 10-Year Anniversary: Celebratory Blog Series

Summaries of 35 blog posts which convey the magic happening at North Wales Recovery Communities, describing how the initiative developed, what it involves, impact on the wider community, and involving...

recoveryvoices.info

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...

The complexity of stigma demands nuanced debate

Published in Addiction Research & Theory (Ahead of Print, 2025)

tandfonline.com

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/...

Currently - Madeira's Drugs Crisis - BBC Sounds

Madeira has a chronic drug problem the authorities are struggling to cope with.

bbc.co.uk

⭐ 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...

Wales as a Nation of Peace | Cymru fel cenedl heddwch

Wrexham Talks Research Presents Academi Heddwch Cyrmu and Professor Colin McInnes

eventbrite.co.uk

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...

Minimum Unit Pricing: Explained

YouTube video by Institute of Alcohol Studies

youtube.com

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: Crispin.Watkins@kaleidoscope68.org #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!

Jess@jessicagreenhalgh.bsky.social · last yr.

We have a new paper published! 📝 Led by @drhannahcarver.bsky.social, this systematic review and qualitative evidence synthesis looked to better understand the experiences of peer workers in substance use and homelessness settings. Access here 👇 bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10....

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!

Alcohol Focus Scotland@alcoholfocus.bsky.social · last yr.

We're delighted to publish a new guest blog by @jamesmorris24.bsky.social exploring why language matters in reducing alcohol harm Read it on our website 🔽 www.alcohol-focus-scotland.org.uk/news/news/no...

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

Barod@wearebarod.bsky.social · last yr.

Today is your last chance to get your EARLY BIRD ticket for our annual conference. Ketamine: The problem and the answer? 📍Swansea Arena 📆21.05.2025 👉To buy your ticket, visit barod.cymru/conference20... #Barod25

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

SARG - SCHARR@sarg-scharr.bsky.social · last yr.

Great to welcome @jamesnicholls.bsky.social to Journal Club today to talk about his paper 'Taking pleasure seriously: Should alcohol research say more about fun?' doi.org/10.1111/add.... We discussed addiction, public health messaging, economics, comparisons with gambling and drugs, and much more.

🚨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...

Alcohol Occasional 1: Court-enforced Alcohol Abstinence and Reoffending

Join us online for the first seminar of the 2025 series, delivered by Dr Carly Lightowlers.

eventbrite.co.uk

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....

A qualitative exploration into the experiences of the menstrual cycle in relation to alcohol use and research

Despite approximately half of the population experiencing menstrual cycles, little is known about experiences of fluctuations in mood and behavior relating to alcohol use. Literature has investigat...

tandfonline.com

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/...

Let's talk about pleasure: Bridging the sociology and public health divide

Click on the article title to read more.

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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/...

Conservative party to ditch commitment to net zero in UK by 2050

Break in cross-party consensus on issue to be announced on Tuesday

theguardian.com

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/...

www.recoveryvoices.info/entering-pen...

Entering Penryhn House: Lee Daly

I was terrified when I moved into Penryhn House. I had such low self-esteem and all my insecurities surfaced. I arrived with all my possessions in one holdall bag, which I didn’t unpack for two weeks....

recoveryvoices.info

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

Minimum alcohol pricing: what we found in Wales after five years

Wales introduced a minimum price for alcohol in 2020 and a recent review shows it has reduced the availability of cheap high-strength drinks.

theconversation.com

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...

Evaluating the Brain Disease Model of Addiction | Nick Heather, Matt F

This ground-breaking book advances the fundamental debate about the nature of addiction. As well as presenting the case for seeing addiction as a brain disease,

taylorfrancis.com

Matt Field@fieldmatt.bsky.social · last yr.

Very readable, accessible summary in the Psychologist here: www.bps.org.uk/psychologist... He wrote at least two books on these topics global.oup.com/academic/pro... One of which I co-edited with Nick and other colleagues www.routledge.com/Evaluating-t... (7/n)

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.

Matt Field@fieldmatt.bsky.social · last yr.

THREAD: As you may know, Nick Heather passed away last month. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nick_He.... His funeral is later today, and I thought I would summarize some of his contributions to the addictions field. This isn’t an obituary, or an exhaustive list of career highlights (1/n)

Now with thread (paper is also open access)

James Morris@jamesmorris24.bsky.social · last yr.

New paper: 'Problem Recognition as A Discrete Concept for Change Processes in Problematic Alcohol Use' We review problem recognition - the extent to which people recognise risk/harm associated with their alcohol use - and its potential for advancing research & intervention doi.org/10.1007/s404...