I've been struck by a couple of potentially academic 'sociology of drinking' things. 1. I hope people are noting and writing stuff about the Westminster Council 'vertical drinking' debate. (Building on all the @jameskneale.bsky.social @jamesnicholls.bsky.social stuff on C19th and C20th. 1/2

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Create an account or log in to Instagram - Share what you're into with the people who get you.

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I encourage you to take a look at this forthcoming conference: "Alcohol Research 2026: New Thinking, New Directions" It's a partnership between the New Directions in the Study of Alcohol Group & University of Stirling.

Alcohol Research 2026

Alcohol Research 2026 conference

alcoholresearch2026.carrd.co

NISRA have just released new data on alcohol-specific deaths in Northern Ireland in 2024. This confirms the sad fact that Northern Ireland now has the highest rates of alcohol-specific deaths of any UK nation.

Interesting trial for those, like me, interested in #alcohol, #football and #gender www.bbc.co.uk/sport/footba...

WSL alcohol trials: No disruption to safety at games, say fans

Trials providing supporters with the option to drink alcohol in the stands at Women's Super League games receives positive feedback on fan safety.

bbc.co.uk

Great coincidence to turn on the radio while making a cup of coffee and come across an episode of the food programme specifically on desi pubs. Great stuff! #alcohol #history #sociology www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand...

BBC Sounds - The Food Programme - Available Episodes

Listen to the latest episodes of The Food Programme on BBC Sounds.

bbc.co.uk

Interesting option for a low (but not no) alcohol beer. Reminds me of 'light and bitter'. Just the fact someone's thought of it makes me think it's something for the academics to note. www.instagram.com/reel/DRFxUCg...

Palmerstown House on Instagram: "Try our new '60/40' in the Palmerstown House. All of the Guinness character, just a little lighter! Great for when you're in the mood for a pint but with a little le...

2,531 likes, 201 comments - palmerstown_house on November 15, 2025: "Try our new '60/40' in the Palmerstown House. All of the Guinness character, just a little lighter! Great for when you're in the ...

instagram.com

The findings of this inquiry are worrying, but sadly unsurprising. We need urgent action to address the crisis in prisons and across our criminal justice system, and substance use treatment has to be a part of that. 1/2

Collective Voice@collective-voice.bsky.social · 10mo ago

The Justice Committee has today published the final report of its Tackling drugs in prisons inquiry, which paints a concerning picture, citing the Chief Inspector of Prisons & the Government’s independent advisor to identify a ‘drugs crisis’ in prisons that means we need ‘urgent reform & investment’

I'm pleased we're setting up this network to share challenges and opportunities to improve support for people who use #ketamine. Please do check out the blog and think about signing up for the event - 14 October 2pm-3.30pm.

Collective Voice@collective-voice.bsky.social · 12mo ago

Collective Voice is building a network of people looking to improve support for people who use #ketamine. Please take a look at our blog & sign up for our event. We'll talk prevention & harm reduction, urology, residential & detox and more www.collectivevoice.org.uk/events/colle... #drugs #addiction

In this instance, deaths linked to fentanyl seems to be due to contamination with bacteria, not the drug itself.

Le Parisien@leparisien.fr · last yr.

Cinq lots contaminés de fentanyl médical auraient été distribués dans huit hôpitaux et centres de santé en Argentine, provoquant la mort d’au moins 100 patients ➡️ https://l.leparisien.fr/TGaP

Two interesting pieces related to #drugs / #addiction on BBC Radio 4 this week. I thought we'd included them in last week's newsletter, but apparently not! A discussion of drug-related deaths on Inside Health, and a whole series running this week on #psychedelics and their therapeutic potential.

Inside Health - Can we reverse rising drug deaths? - BBC Sounds

We try to figure out why drug deaths are at an all-time high - and what can be done.

bbc.co.uk

This year #AlcoholAwarenessWeek is focusing on #alcohol and the workplace. Kayleigh Gamblin, National Employment Lead at WithYou, provides a perspective on the role of work in recovery from alcohol issues. www.collectivevoice.org.uk/news/work-as...

Work as recovery: Supporting employment during Alcohol Awareness Week - Collective Voice

This Alcohol Awareness Week, WithYou is calling on employers and policymakers to recognise work as a recovery tool, which can change the lives of people across the UK. Kayleigh Gamblin, National Emplo...

collectivevoice.org.uk

Interesting to see this strategy for early years education today and think of parallels with the #drugs & #alcohol world, particularly the commitments on workforce, notably creating a professional register. 1/3 www.gov.uk/government/p...

Collective Voice has responded to the Government's 10-year #health plan. The ideas & principles are welcome, but if they're going to deliver on their ambitions they will need to work closely with #charities & have more of a focus on #alcohol & other #drugs www.collectivevoice.org.uk/comment/coll...

Collective Voice responds to the 10-year health plan - Collective Voice

When the plan trumpets ‘a devolved and diverse NHS’, I wonder if it should really be saying ‘ a devolved and diverse health system’ Read the Government’s plan Positive principles, but health is about ...

collectivevoice.org.uk

We should be raising awareness of the risks in using ketamine & thinking about how to reduce harm. But "Children as young as 12 are becoming addicted to ketamine, opting to buy the horse tranquilliser over a packet of crisps"?! Does that language support a serious debate? www.itv.com/news/2025-06...

Ketamine ‘overwhelming’ authorities as teens dealing and taking Class B drug | ITV News

ITV News has spoken to frontline services across Cheshire who are calling for more awareness with warnings over the long-term damage of ketamine use. | ITV National News

itv.com

This new report from @ias.org.uk and @shaapalcohol.bsky.social is worth a look. I'm not anti-alcohol or opposed to the industry, but we need an open, honest debate about policy. Some of these moves by the #alcohol industry look at best disingenuous, which is really disappointing.

Institute of Alcohol Studies@ias.org.uk · last yr.

📢 New report: UK alcohol industry groups spent 2024 misleading the public on harm, the economy, environment, and policy. We analysed 140+ industry documents and found a strategy of cherry-picking evidence, overstating economic value, and downplaying health harms. ➡️ www.ias.org.uk/report/spin-...

This is definitely worth a listen for those with an interest in substance use issues. Richard Coles talks about loving someone who's struggling with their drinking & going to Al-Anon, as well as his own substance use. #alcohol #drugs www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Rylan: How to Be... - How to Be in Love - Richard Coles: On losing the love of his life and casual roadside encounters - BBC Sounds

Rylan speaks to Richard Coles about how he healed from grief to find love once again.

bbc.co.uk

Re-sharing this as I hope it's useful to raise awareness of the treatment that's out there for people facing issues with #alcohol. I know it's not the perfect intro, but I think we don't do enough of this for wider audiences. Do listen, share & comment - how can we communicate better & more widely?

Institute of Alcohol Studies@ias.org.uk · last yr.

"In some ways - because so many people drink alcohol - perceiving yourself to have a problem feels arguably more unusual than with another drug." 🎙️Dr @williamhaydock.bsky.social of @collective-voice.bsky.social discusses alcohol treatment on our latest podcast 🎧 Links: ias.org.uk/podcast/12327/

The online abuse that Katie Boulter has received, as described in this piece, is outrageous. I was surprised, though, by the clear link made to #gambling / #betting, with the BBC paraphrasing the research: "angry gamblers sent 40% of all detected abuse". www.bbc.co.uk/sport/tennis...

Katie Boulter: British tennis player reveals social media abuse she has received

Britain's Katie Boulter speaks exclusively to BBC Sport about the levels of social media abuse she receives.

bbc.co.uk

This is a surprisingly good piece on substance use, specifically ketamine. Lots of detail, and quite thoughtful. (Via @drugwise.bsky.social) www.newstatesman.com/politics/hea...

How Britain fell into the K-hole

Silicon Valley’s favourite drug is also the UK’s.

newstatesman.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

It was fun to record this discussion of what #alcohol treatment is & how it's organised & funded. Inevitably there were loads of things we didn't get time to cover properly. It'd be good to cover topics including quality & accessibility of treatment, diversity & inclusion, sustainability of funding.

Institute of Alcohol Studies@ias.org.uk · last yr.

Listen to our latest podcast, where @williamhaydock.bsky.social of @collective-voice.bsky.social discusses the alcohol treatment system in England, incl: 💊Accessibility to free treatment 💷How it's commissioned ⚕️What the Health & Social Care Act changed ➡️Drug Strategy www.ias.org.uk/podcast/12327/

De-siloing substance misuse and self-harm research through integrated public health and emergency medicine - The Lancet Public Health www.thelancet.com/journals/lan... via @lisaangelica.bsky.social

De-siloing substance misuse and self-harm research through integrated public health and emergency medicine

Acute and chronic problems related to alcohol, drugs, and self-harm are important public health challenges and are compounded by socioeconomic inequalities. People with substance use disorders or ment...

thelancet.com

I'm still on holiday visiting Lyme Regis museum, but there's no escaping #alcohol & #temperance history!

Gauke's sentencing review report is finally out! Full assessment will come after gov announces its response, but some initial thoughts here. Overall: lot of sensible proposals, likely to be some big implementation challenges, and a few risks 🧵

It's been interesting to read the final report of the Independent Sentencing Review today, discuss with colleagues & see other people comment. You can read some of my thoughts below. I have quite mixed feelings: some sensible diagnosis but some out of date; some sensible proposals but others odd.

Collective Voice@collective-voice.bsky.social · last yr.

Today saw the publication of the Independent Sentencing Review, as well as the Government's response. Our Director, Will Haydock, sees lots to welcome, but notes that while the review calls for additional investment to deliver on its ambitions, the Government hasn't yet committed to this. 1/2

It was nice to dust off my old academic persona and write this for @ias.org.uk about how we often misunderstand people's #alcohol drinking behaviour & how we can engage with the reality and make good policy by learning from #harmreduction in the world of #drugs. Comments & engagement very welcome!

Institute of Alcohol Studies@ias.org.uk · last yr.

Drinking for many is about escape, uncertainty, even discomfort – not control or rationality. Our policies often miss that completely. In our latest blog, Dr @williamhaydock.bsky.social argues for a harm reduction approach that recognises what people actually want. www.ias.org.uk/2025/05/21/h...

The number of people sleeping rough and cuts by the previous government have led to overstretched services that are having to prioritise short-term crisis management over long-term prevention.

Sadiq Khan plans to end rough sleeping in London by 2030

The mayor wants people to avoid having to sleep on the streets before being able to access support.

bbc.co.uk

The Government is currently advertising the role of Independent Advisor to the UK Government on drugs. This is the role that Dame Carol Black has held for several years, originally appointed under the Conservative Government. 1/3

There's a new blog post from me in the thread below, expressing a mixture of frustration and optimism not just in relation to Government policy, but the wider media context and reaction. There's more we can do to reduce harm from #drugs, but #stigma only makes it worse.

Collective Voice@collective-voice.bsky.social · last yr.

Last week the Government published a report outlining evidence and insights for local areas designed to help strengthen their preparedness for the synthetic opioid threat. We welcome the report, but think the Government also needs to provide national leadership on a couple of key issues. 1/4

Interesting piece from @fieldmatt.bsky.social, relevant for people developing effective treatment for substance use issues but also wider general comms. theconversation.com/addiction-is... (via @drugwise.bsky.social)

Addiction isn’t just about brain chemistry – but nor is it just bad choices

Addiction isn’t a brain disease – but substance use is rarely a free choice either.

theconversation.com