SARG research on drinking guidelines presented in Brussels
Professor John Holmes, Director of the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), recently spoke at a European Alcohol Harm Reduction Symposium.
Professor Holmes presented SARG's evaluation of the UK's low-risk drinking guidelines which concluded that announcing new drinking guidelines did not lead to a substantial or sustained reduction in drinking or a downturn in the long-term trend in alcohol consumption, though there was evidence of a temporary reduction in consumption.
He also participated in a panel discussion on the implications of the decline in youth drinking over the last 20 years and how to communicate evidence on alcohol and cancer.
The symposium, Reducing the burden of alcohol: Focus on scientific and policy challenges, took place on 3 December 2024 and brought together leading researchers, policymakers, and public health professionals from across Europe. Organised by Santé publique France, a leading scientific agency dedicated to preventing addictive behaviours, and EuroHealthNet, a European network of public health organisations, the symposium aimed to address key challenges in alcohol harm prevention.
Sessions from the symposium are available to watch on YouTube – look out for John's presentation 'Evaluation of the impact of (not) promoting revised low-risk drinking guidelines, UK' and his participation in Roundtable 1.
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SARG researcher secures major Wellcome funding to model how context influences alcohol consumption
Dr Amber Copeland from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has been awarded a prestigious Wellcome Trust fellowship worth £591,755 over five years. The funding will support a new project to develop a cutting-edge computational model that explores how a person's environment influences their attempts to cut down on alcohol.
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New report on minimum unit pricing for alcohol in Wales
The Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG) has published a major new report that models the impact of alcohol pricing policies on alcohol consumption and harm in Wales.
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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.
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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.
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