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
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SARG researchers to showcase local health modelling at the Prevention Research Conference 2026
Researchers from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) will present work from the Local Health and Global Profits programme at the Prevention Research Conference 2026 in Birmingham on 4-5 March.
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New research shows that spending less on tobacco, gambling and sweets is good for the UK economy
A new study from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has found that public health policies which reduce spending on harmful products can actually provide a significant boost to UK jobs and the wider economy.
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SARG researcher Dr Parvati Perman-Howe secures NIHR Career Development Award
We are delighted to announce that Dr Parvati Perman-Howe, a Research Associate within the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), has secured a highly sought-after Career Development Award.
New on the blog
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UK vaping policy modelling: key findings from the SPIRE project
Hazel Squires shares findings from the SPIRE project which aimed to identify the requirements for a UK vaping policy model, map out existing data that could feed into the model, and identify what additional data are needed.









