Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Jenn Dowd @drjenndowd.bsky.social · 14h

Looks like a great opportunity for pop health researchers... #demography #episky
jobs.helsinki.fi/job/Helsinki...

Two Postdoctoral Researchers on Health Inequalities

jobs.helsinki.fi

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SARG - SCHARR @sarg-scharr.bsky.social · 18d

Lots of media coverage this morning of findings from our new report 'Alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks in Great Britain: Monitoring report on 2023 data'. The no/lo market continues to expand and no/lo drinks are more likely to be consumed by risky drinkers. Find out more 👇 @nihr.bsky.social

New report reveals further growth and key trends in alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market - Sheffield Addictions Research Group

A second Monitoring Report from the Sheffield Addictions Research Group has been published, revealing further growth in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks market and offering new insights...

sarg-sheffield.ac.uk

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Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · 19d

Sober months like Dry January have become increasingly popular in recent years, but do they actually change how we drink?

In this blog, @aishamoolla.bsky.social outlines the findings from recent @sarg-scharr.bsky.social research on the short and long-term impacts.

www.ias.org.uk/2025/09/23/d...

Does Dry January change how we drink? - Institute of Alcohol Studies

A new study finds that Dry January does show up in national alcohol sales data – people drink less and buy more no/lo options during the month. But most return to old habits by February, raising quest...

www.ias.org.uk

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Addiction journal @addictionjournal.bsky.social · 25d

Exploring the impact on emotional wellbeing of having a spouse or cohabiting partner with elevated Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI) scores: Secondary analysis of cross-sectional health survey data buff.ly/IPZyUGS @uofgsocsci.bsky.social @shwardle.bsky.social

buff.ly

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Abi Stevely @abi-stevely.bsky.social · Jul 31

New paper on changes in sales of alcohol and alcohol-free/low-alcohol products in January, and whether these changes drive longer term trends!
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Led by @aishamoolla.bsky.social
@jholmessheff.bsky.social
@voodooeconomics.bsky.social
@jamiebrown.bsky.social

Temporary and sustained changes in alcoholic and alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks sales during January? A time series analysis of seasonal patterning in Great Britain

Sales of alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks are increasing rapidly but the drivers of this trend remain unclear. Reductions in alcohol consum…

www.sciencedirect.com

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James Nicholls @jamesnicholls.bsky.social · Jul 7

This is a great discussion of generational change, risk, anxiety and drinking behaviours featuring @amypennay.bsky.social and @jholmessheff.bsky.social from the @ias.org.uk podcast. open.spotify.com/episode/1avJ...

Alcohol Alert June 2025

Alcohol Alert Podcast · Episode

open.spotify.com

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Colin Angus @victimofmaths.bsky.social · Jul 3

The Government's big new 10 year health plan has finally been published.

In spite of lots of talk about moving towards prevention rather than treatment, there is basically no meaningful alcohol prevention policy here.

assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/686638...

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SARG - SCHARR @sarg-scharr.bsky.social · Jul 1

The research team is currently looking for people in #Sheffield who regularly drink alcohol, are finding it hard to manage financially, and don't often drink alcohol-free or low-alcohol drinks to take part in the study. Find out more about the project and how to get involved 👇

Understanding barriers to the use of alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks to reduce alcohol consumption among individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds - Sheffield Addictions Research Group

This project aims to shed light on why alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks may not be as accessible or appealing to those from disadvantaged communities.

sarg-sheffield.ac.uk

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Eleanor Winpenny @eleanorwinpenny.bsky.social · Jun 27

Our latest paper led by Oscar Rousham finds three trajectories of diet quality across adolescence and early adulthood. We find independent contributions of both parental SEP and individual education years to odds of following different trajectories in data from Western Austr. doi.org/10.1016/j.ap...

Graph depicting 3 different trajectories of diet quality: (1) low, (2) low to high and (3) high

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Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · Jun 27

Why is youth drinking in decline?

Listen to our latest podcast to hear why it's more than any one cause, and needs to be understood from a broader sociological position of generational change.
Ft. @jholmessheff.bsky.social and @amypennay.bsky.social

Listen here: www.ias.org.uk/podcast/why-...

Why are young people drinking less? - Institute of Alcohol Studies

On this month’s podcast we spoke to Professor John Holmes, University of Sheffield, and Amy Pennay, La Trobe University, about their new book: Young People, Alcohol, and Risk: A Culture of Caution. W...

www.ias.org.uk

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Jun 21

I've never seen it but it sounds AMAZING

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Jun 2

The latest 'Alcohol Explained' video from @ias.org.uk focuses on Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol, with contributions from me and @victimofmaths.bsky.social www.youtube.com/watch?v=M3EX...

Minimum Unit Pricing: Explained

YouTube video by Institute of Alcohol Studies

www.youtube.com

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Drinking Studies Network (DSN) @drinkingstudies.bsky.social · May 30

'Young People, Alcohol and Risk: A Culture of Caution' | @amypennay.bsky.social @gabrielcaluzzi.bsky.social @soc-researcher.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social et al @ias.org.uk www.ias.org.uk/2025/05/28/y...

Young People, Alcohol and Risk: A Culture of Caution - Institute of Alcohol Studies

A new book explores why young people in high-income countries are drinking less, linking the decline to growing health consciousness, closer parental relationships, and a broader culture of caution. I...

www.ias.org.uk

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Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · May 28

Written by @amypennay.bsky.social, @gabrielcaluzzi.bsky.social, @soc-researcher.bsky.social, @jholmessheff.bsky.social, Michael Livingston, Jonas Raninen and Jukka Törrönen

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Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · May 28

A new book explores why young people in high-income countries are drinking less, linking the decline to growing health consciousness, closer parental relationships, and a broader culture of caution.

In our latest blog, the authors discuss the findings.

www.ias.org.uk/2025/05/28/y...

Young People, Alcohol and Risk: A Culture of Caution - Institute of Alcohol Studies

A new book explores why young people in high-income countries are drinking less, linking the decline to growing health consciousness, closer parental relationships, and a broader culture of caution. I...

www.ias.org.uk

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Melissa Oldham @melissaoldham.bsky.social · Apr 11

We have a new paper out today in Lancet Public Health looking at increases in alcohol-specific deaths in England.

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

www.sciencedirect.com

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Apr 9

Important short article explaining why the NAS report on alcohol consumption and health uses a flawed approach to understanding the risks of low levels alcohol consumption. In short, claims that low levels of drinking are associated with reduced health risks are not robust.

Biases inherent in all-cause mortality studies: implications for shaping the 2025–2030 dietary guidelines for Americans on alcohol consumption

www.sciencedirect.com

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Apr 8

Very nice. We do that walk sometimes (although usually as a round-walk from Runswick Bay or Saltwick Bay)

John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Apr 8

Is that the walk from some of the bays heading out towards Scarborough? And past the old fog horn?

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SARG - SCHARR @sarg-scharr.bsky.social · Apr 8

📢 New SARG paper 📢 This qualitative study explored the strategies 'official' and 'unofficial' UK Dry January participants used to overcome common challenges, and how these evolved post-January. Led by Anna Butters with @fieldmatt.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social & Inge Kersbergen.

‘Knowing how it works for me’: a qualitative interview study of the use of personalised approaches to manage common challenges during Dry January

Participation in temporary abstinence challenges such as Dry January is associated with benefits including enduring reductions in alcohol consumption. However, undertaking temporary abstinence requ...

doi.org

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Matt Field @fieldmatt.bsky.social · Apr 8

New paper out today, led by Anna Butters with me, Inge Kersbergen, and @jholmessheff.bsky.social

"‘Knowing how it works for me’: a qualitative interview study of the use of personalised approaches to manage common challenges during Dry January"

www.tandfonline.com/doi/epdf/10....

‘Knowing how it works for me’: a qualitative interview study of the use of personalised approaches to manage common challenges during Dry January

www.tandfonline.com

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Society for the Study of Addiction @addiction-ssa.org · Apr 7

The SSA is now accepting applications for speakers at the 2025 PhD Symposium, which is being held on Wednesday 5 November in Newcastle upon Tyne tinyurl.com/3z8r2dh3

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SARG - SCHARR @sarg-scharr.bsky.social · Apr 7

SARG Director @jholmessheff.bsky.social and Research Fellow @abi-stevely.bsky.social will be presenting at this free @instalcstud.bsky.social webinar on Minimum Unit Pricing on 29th May. Find out more and sign up to attend 👇 #alcohol #publichealth

IAS webinar: Minimum Unit Pricing: Lessons for England - Institute of Alcohol Studies

Thursday, 29 May, 12:00-13:30 BST Join our webinar to learn everything you need to know about Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol. Leading experts will explore the theory behind the policy, its impa...

www.ias.org.uk

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SARG - SCHARR @sarg-scharr.bsky.social · Apr 1

The alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market in the UK is growing, but slowly. In this new blog post Luke Wilson talks about key trends identified in a study he led with @abi-stevely.bsky.social. He also considers the wider implications of these trends for public health. #alcohol #nolo

Trends in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market in the UK - Sheffield Addictions Research Group

In this blog post Luke Wilson discusses the latest trends in the alcohol-free and low-alcohol drinks market in the UK including the on-trade, off-trade and their use by people attempting to reduce the...

sarg-sheffield.ac.uk

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Institute of Alcohol Studies @ias.org.uk · Mar 24

Join our webinar on 29 May to learn everything you need to know about Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol.

Leading experts will explore the theory behind the policy, its impact in Scotland and Wales, & crucially, what England can learn from their experiences.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/minimum-un...

Minimum Unit Pricing: Lessons for England

Join our webinar to learn everything you need to know about Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol

www.eventbrite.co.uk

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Mar 24

I think this is broadly true, and certainly for harmful drinking. But we lack understanding of how people think about dose response risks for alcohol. My suspicion is people have a reasonable sense of this as a general idea and possibly of the scale of risk.

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Mar 24

Also not sure this captures the way in which alcohol is bad for us. Surveys clearly show people know alcohol is harmful, the question is how harmful and the level of risk. I think you're talking about a slightly different thing - dependence or 'having a problem'.

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John Holmes @jholmessheff.bsky.social · Mar 24

More glaring is the fact that under-18s with no earnings are drinking much less - and harm rates are tracking that. Economics is probably playing a role but it's far from a key driver.

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SARG - SCHARR @sarg-scharr.bsky.social · Mar 24

📢 New SARG paper 📢 Led by Luke Wilson and @abi-stevely.bsky.social this paper was published as part of our ongoing No/Lo Project and reports on trends in alcohol-free and low-alcohol drink consumption in Great Britain. They found that consumption is increasing but predicted to remain low in 2025.

Current and future trends in the consumption, sale and purchasing of alcohol‐free and low‐alcohol products in Great Britain, 2014 to 2023

Background and Aims The UK Government has committed to reducing alcohol consumption by 2025 through increasing the availability of alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks. This study estimated c...

doi.org

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Abi Stevely @abi-stevely.bsky.social · Mar 21

New paper out today showing the rise in alcohol-free and low-alcohol products and forecasting future trends! Includes interesting graphs 👀
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....

@jamiebrown.bsky.social @jholmessheff.bsky.social

Current and future trends in the consumption, sale and purchasing of alcohol‐free and low‐alcohol products in Great Britain, 2014 to 2023

Background and Aims The UK Government has committed to reducing alcohol consumption by 2025 through increasing the availability of alcohol-free and low-alcohol (no/lo) drinks. This study estimated c...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

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