News & Media
Sheffield research shows Drink Less app could save lives and millions for the NHS
A new study led by Professor Colin Angus of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has revealed the significant potential of the Drink Less app in reducing alcohol-related harm and saving the NHS millions of pounds.
Health inequalities and no/lo drinks the focus of upcoming webinar
Are no- and low-alcohol drinks truly a healthier alternative for everyone? PhD student Lucy Burke will explore this question in a free online session on Wednesday 5 February 2025.
SARG researchers to present at Alcohol Knowledge Exchange Workshop
Professor John Holmes and Professor Colin Angus are key contributors to the Knowledge Exchange Workshop: Alcohol Evidence in Policy and Practice taking place in Edinburgh this week.
SARG research on drinking guidelines presented in Brussels
Professor John Holmes, Director of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group, recently spoke at a European Alcohol Harm Reduction Symposium on UK drinking guidelines, the decline in youth drinking and how to communicate evidence on alcohol and cancer.
Alcohol app could save 4,500 lives, study finds
January 2025
BBC article about a study which used the Sheffield Alcohol Policy Model to estimate how two alternative approaches to increasing the uptake of the Drink Less app might affect alcohol consumption, health and health inequalities in the longer term.
Going Sober: Can we Ditch the Booze?
January 2025
John Holmes speaks on this ITV Tonight programme about no- and low-alcohol drinks and findings from the No/Lo Project.
Dry January: what are the benefits and drawbacks?
December 2024
Matt Field contributes to this BBC Good Food article.
New alcohol mortality data presents a bleak picture for England
December 2024
Colin Angus writes for the Institute of Alcohol Studies blog.
How our brains get hooked – cue biases and impulses
December 2024
Matt Field speaks on the Craving Clarity podcast about the fascinating world of attentional and cognitive biases in substance misuse, the brain disease model of addiction, recovery, and future directions in the field.
BBC Panorama: Binge Drinking and Me
November 2024
Colin Angus contributes to this episode which focuses on binge drinking and liver disease.
Latest on the blog
Creating a Smokefree Generation: The role of universities in supporting the Tobacco and Vapes Bill
In this blog post Duncan Gillespie discusses the UK Government's Smokefree Generation policy, highlights Sheffield's student-led research and advocates for a national university network to share best practices for creating smoke-free environments.
Researchers win prestigious Public Health Journal Paper of the Year Award with research on gambling advertising and public health
A team of researchers, including members of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), has been honoured with the prestigious Public Health Journal Paper of the Year award.
SARG releases first Budget briefing report
The Sheffield Addictions Research Group has launched an ongoing series of Budget Briefing Notes exploring the potential health and economic consequences of tobacco and alcohol tax changes, beginning with the Autumn 2024 Budget.
SARG researchers to present at SSA Annual Conference 2024
Researchers from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group will attend the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) Annual Conference in Newcastle on 14 and 15 November 2024.
Minimum pricing for tobacco could help to reduce smoking rates in Scotland, new research suggests
New research from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group has assessed the potential effectiveness of minimum pricing policies for tobacco that could help reduce smoking rates and improve health in Scotland.
IAS funds SARG researcher to study barriers to no/lo drink consumption among disadvantaged groups
Dr Merve Mollaahmetoglu has been awarded a grant from the Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) to investigate barriers to the use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
SARG study on UK alcohol tax reforms published in The Lancet Public Health
A new study published this week in The Lancet Public Health by the Sheffield Addictions Research Group shows that while recent reforms to UK alcohol taxation are a step in the right direction, they are unlikely to significantly improve public health outcomes without further changes.
SARG researchers present work on gambling advertising and inequalities in harms
Researchers from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group recently presented their work on the effectiveness of gambling advertising bans and the unequal impact of gambling and alcohol on disadvantaged communities.
Colin Angus awarded prestigious public health fellowship
Senior Research Fellow Colin Angus has been awarded Fellowship through Distinction of the Faculty of Public Health.
Online seminar on behavioural theory and tobacco modelling
Modelling work on tobacco initiation and cessation was the subject of a recent online seminar for Behavioural Research UK.
Funding available for two PhD projects focusing on women and alcohol
The Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), a centre of excellence for alcohol and public health research, is seeking two PhD students to investigate women's drinking and its impact on health.
Sheffield Addictions Research Group to present at KBS Alcohol Epidemiology Symposium
A team of nine will be travelling from Sheffield to Australia in May to share their work with alcohol researchers from across the world.
Lucy Burke to speak at Pint of Science festival
SARG PhD researcher Lucy Burke will give a talk on no- and low-alcohol drinks at this year's Pint of Science festival.
SARG contributes to major new report on e-cigarettes
The Sheffield Addictions Research Group has contributed to a major new report on e-cigarettes from the Royal College of Physicians.
John Holmes to speak on no- and low-alcohol drinks in SHAAP seminar
Prof John Holmes and Prof Niamh Fitzgerald will discuss the implications of no- and low-alcohol products for public health in a free online seminar on 24 April.
New SARG study shows that going smoke-free could redirect almost £11 billion a year into local economies
Making England completely smoke-free could free up £10.9 billion and provide substantial benefits to local economies, a new SARG study has shown.
Funding announced for research into commercial determinants of health
Congratulations to SARG team member Zoe Clarke who has won funding for research on commercial determinants of health in Sheffield.
Choice and flexibility are key factors to support stopping smoking
An evaluation of a smoking cessation service by Sheffield researchers highlights the importance of flexible support to engage with different groups and support their individual needs.
SARG team to present at UK Society for Behavioural Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting
Luke Wilson, Anna Butters and Maddy Henney will present on no- and low-alcohol drinks, Dry January and food insecurity.
Spring Budget 2024: What does it mean for alcohol and e-cigarettes?
Following the Spring Budget on 6th March 2024, SARG experts Colin Angus and Duncan Gillespie take a look at what it means for alcohol and e-cigarette taxes.
Colin Angus presents on alcohol consumption and harm at national conference
SARG Senior Research Fellow Colin Angus spoke at the Managing Addictions in Primary Care conference last week.
Dr Duncan Gillespie speaks on the Communicable Research podcast
SARG Senior Research Fellow Duncan Gillespie features in the latest episode of the SCHARR Communicable Research podcast 'Quitting Cigarettes: Making cessation support inclusive and equitable'.
SARG work cited at Health and Social Care Committee inquiry
SARG work on the combined effects of tobacco and alcohol pricing policy was mentioned in the Health and Social Care Committee inquiry on tobacco, alcohol, gambling and drugs this week.
Dr Duncan Gillespie speaks on tobacco policy at SPECTRUM event
Leading tobacco policy experts gathered at the Academy of Medical Sciences in London for a three-day workshop hosted by the SPECTRUM Consortium, entitled "Nicotine & tobacco: Current Issues, Policy and Practice".
New report reveals key features of no- and low-alcohol drinks market
The first of a new series of reports into no and low alcohol drinks was published today (15 January 2024) by the Sheffield Addictions Research Group.
New report on the need for gambling disorder treatment published today
Researchers at the University of Sheffield, in collaboration with the University of Glasgow, have conducted a study that sheds light on the prevalence of harmful gambling in England.
The Sheffield Alcohol Research Group becomes the Sheffield Addictions Research Group
The Sheffield Alcohol Research Group (SARG) has changed its name to the Sheffield Addictions Research Group to reflect its expanding research portfolio.
John Holmes to speak at MCA Annual Symposium
SARG Director Professor John Holmes will give a talk on no/lo drinks at the Medical Council on Alcohol's Annual Symposium this week (22.11.23).
SARG team highlights alcohol and gambling research at the Festival of Social Science
The Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) recently took part in the ESRC Festival of Social Science by hosting an interactive activity stand in Sheffield's Moor Market.
SARG researchers present at UKPRP Conference
Dr Damon Morris and Dr Duncan Gillespie recently attended the Prevention Research Conference and the SPECTRUM Consortium Annual Meeting in Edinburgh.
Dr Inge Kersbergen to present Mini Master Class
Lecturer and SARG team member Inge Kersbergen will present an online master class on 'Changing alcohol serving size to reduce drinking' in December.
Robin Purshouse speaks at the University of Exeter
Professor Robin Purshouse recently gave a talk on Building agent-based models using computational intelligence as part of the University of Exeter's Computer Science Seminar Series.
SARG success at SSA Annual Conference 2023
PhD student and SARG team member Anna Butters was awarded the prize for the best overall student poster at this year's Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) Annual Conference which took place in Newcastle in November 2023.
New modelling of alcohol harms in Scotland
The Sheffield Alcohol Research Group has today (20 September 2023) published a major new report on the impact of alcohol pricing policies, alcohol consumption and harm in Scotland.
New NIHR-funded Addictions Policy Research Unit announced today
The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has today (1 August 2023) awarded over £100 million to 20 new Policy Research Units (PRUs) across England, including two at the University of Sheffield.