Sheffield Addictions
Research Group
Public health and health economic research on alcohol, tobacco, gambling and addiction.
The Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) is based in the Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research at the University of Sheffield. Our innovative research, spanning from modelling the effects of policy interventions to understanding complex human behaviour, has directly shaped legislation and public health strategies in the UK and internationally.
Research areas
Alcohol
We are an international centre of excellence for public health research on alcohol. Since 2008 our alcohol research has played a key role in current policy and public debate.
Tobacco
We are continually expanding our portfolio of tobacco research, with a commitment to conducting policy-relevant research that can inform evidence-based interventions.
Gambling
We are actively engaged in emerging areas of gambling research, seeking to understand and address the complex issues surrounding addiction and public health.
Featured projects
Latest news
SARG researchers share insights into youth and student drinking at national conference
Researchers from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) recently presented their findings on youth and student drinking trends at the Student Health Association Annual Conference, held from Sunday 29 June to Tuesday 1 July 2025 in Sheffield.
SARG researchers co-author new book exploring 'culture of caution' in youth drinking decline
A new book by an international team of experts, including researchers from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), unpacks the complex social, cultural and economic factors driving the decline in young people's alcohol consumption.
SARG's Lucy Burke wins Open Research Prize 2025
Lucy Burke, a Qualitative Research Associate and PhD Student with the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), has been awarded the University of Sheffield Open Research Prize 2025 in the Postgraduate Researcher (PGR) category.
New on the blog
What UK alcohol tax data tells us about drinking trends since the pandemic
Colin Angus shares insights from a new study on UK alcohol tax data, examining shifts in sales trends since COVID-19. He discusses the surprising divergence between overall consumption and rising alcohol-specific deaths, and what this means for policy.
Latest journal papers
Research collaborations
