Wulf Livingston

Are you being served? PhD research project exploring alcohol-free nightlife spaces for LGBTQIA+ communities - Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems In our latest blog, Beth Meadows discusses her research into LGBTQIA+ communities and alcohol-free nightlife spaces and explores the potential for these spaces as well as the barriers they may face. L...

🗣️In our latest blog, @bethmeadows.bsky.social discusses her research into LGBTQIA+ communities and alcohol-free nightlife spaces and explores the potential for these spaces as well as the barriers they may face. #PrideMonth
shaap.org.uk/are-you-bein...

Fantastic to see Prof. Antonio Lyon from NZ singing the praises of qualitative, narrative, lived and living experience voice at #KBS2025

'Reform is urgent and critical' An open letter from medics on the future of healthcare in Scotland Leading Scottish health professionals call for ‘reimagining’ of healthcare

"In short, ours is a plea for a shared mission, for the humility and courage to recognise that we require new ways of discussing, delivering and improving the nation’s health and creating sustainable health care and social care systems for the future."
www.scotsman.com/health/an-op...

Good to be presenting reflections from final evaluation of Minimum Pricing for Alcohol Wales #kbs2025 with @andyperkins.bsky.social

NWRC 10-Year Anniversary: Celebratory Blog Series Summaries of 35 blog posts which convey the magic happening at North Wales Recovery Communities, describing how the initiative developed, what it involves, impact on the wider community, and involving...

This mini series highlights the power of transformation through peer led organisation www.recoveryvoices.info/nwrc-10-year...

The complexity of stigma demands nuanced debate Published in Addiction Research & Theory (Ahead of Print, 2025)

A further (final) reply to the 'positive stigma' debate (DM if you need full text), myself and @jamesnicholls.bsky.social

The complexity of stigma demands nuanced debate www.tandfonline.com/eprint/69FCR...

Currently - Madeira's Drugs Crisis - BBC Sounds Madeira has a chronic drug problem the authorities are struggling to cope with.

I caught this programme yesterday on Radio 4. It's unusual to have such a detailed and extensive discussion of problems related to #drugs on a major radio network. 1/3

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

Wales as a Nation of Peace | Cymru fel cenedl heddwch Wrexham Talks Research Presents Academi Heddwch Cyrmu and Professor Colin McInnes

⭐ This Wednesday ⭐

Academi Heddwch Cyrmu (AHC) is Wales’s National Peace Institute and the only national peace institute in the UK.

This lecture will explore what it means to be a nation of peace, why Wales should become one, and how it can do so 🕊

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wales-as-a...

Is there such a thing as good stigma? Dr James Morris unpacks this idea in his latest blog, exploring why stigma, even when well-intentioned, causes harm. It doesn’t prevent behaviour, it prevents connection. Read more via our website 👇
zurl.co/Hbj4W

YouTube video by Institute of Alcohol Studies Minimum Unit Pricing: Explained

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...

After 27 years as CEO of Kaleidoscope, Martin Blakebrough officially stepped down last Friday. 🎤👋
He joined BBC Radio to reflect on the organisation’s journey, the challenges and milestones, and what the future might hold.
🎧 Catch the full interview here: www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...

🚨 Join us for a vital discussion on Substances of Concern 🚨
🗓 4 June 2025
🕛 12:00–13:30
📍 Pierhead Building, Cardiff Bay

📩 RSVP: Crispin.Watkins@kaleidoscope68.org

#SubstancesOfConcern #HarmReduction #DrugPolicy #PublicHealth #CardiffEvents

So delighted that this paper has been published today (it's been a very long time coming!). We synthesised nine qualitative studies to understand peer workers' experiences and the key components of their role. Now published in BMC Public Health!

A new study led by ARG’s own Anthony Surace, PhD explores why alcohol use spiked during the pandemic, highlighting stress, isolation, and shifting social norms as major contributors.

arg.org/news/new-stu...

If you're interested in alcohol issues and haven't yet read it, please have a look at my blog below and share any thoughts!

Registration is now open for our 2025 Alcohol Occasional seminar series!

You can register for all four seminars here: bit.ly/427yFB9

Always a good gig

There is an excellent piece about the life and work of Professor Nick Heather in @psychmag.bsky.social tinyurl.com/42z6xttk. @jamesmorris24.bsky.social and Niamh Fitzgerald describe him as a "passionate, principled man" and a "true giant of the alcohol and addiction field".

Great to see the elephant in the room being aired

Alcohol Occasional 1: Court-enforced Alcohol Abstinence and Reoffending Join us online for the first seminar of the 2025 series, delivered by Dr Carly Lightowlers.

🚨You can now register for the 2025 SHAAP/
@sarnalcohol.bsky.social Alcohol Occasionals!

🗣️First up, we have Dr Carly Lightowlers who will be presenting on "Court-enforced Alcohol Abstinence: Does it Reduce Reoffending?"

Book your ticket now 👇
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/alcohol-oc...

A qualitative exploration into the experiences of the menstrual cycle in relation to alcohol use and research Despite approximately half of the population experiencing menstrual cycles, little is known about experiences of fluctuations in mood and behavior relating to alcohol use. Literature has investigat...

Congratulations Jasmine Warren on another excellent paper from her PhD, that I was lucky enough to co-supervise with @abirose9.bsky.social and others. This one is a qualitative look at the relationship between alcohol use and the menstrual cycle.

www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10....

And as I heard Ben Elton say on R4. Losing 2 years of life. But which years? Not the fun ones but rather the care home ones?

Let's talk about pleasure: Bridging the sociology and public health divide Click on the article title to read more.

Thanks also to @amypennay.bsky.social and @birdmichael.bsky.social for this great commentary. It's been fantastic to read such constructive and insightful responses to our discussion paper 🙏 onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Conservative party to ditch commitment to net zero in UK by 2050 Break in cross-party consensus on issue to be announced on Tuesday

Reminder that Badenoch’s leadership campaign was part-funded by a board member at Chevron, one of the world’s largest fossil fuel companies.

www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Political choices being made here. A government pandering. But no movement on tax system reform and some genuine redistribution of wealth

social work collage

Today is World Social Work Day!

Did you know, we have a small but mighty team in Social Work that has a wealth of experience working with experts by experience and vulnerable populations & leads with an ethos of social inclusion.

Meet the team and look at their work.
wrexham.ac.uk/research/our...

When you are committing genocide

Latest opioid dependence prevalence estimates for Scotland published today.
publichealthscotland.scot/media/32049/...

Entering Penryhn House: Lee Daly I was terrified when I moved into Penryhn House. I had such low self-esteem and all my insecurities surfaced. I arrived with all my possessions in one holdall bag, which I didn’t unpack for two weeks....

www.recoveryvoices.info/entering-pen...

Minimum alcohol pricing: what we found in Wales after five years Wales introduced a minimum price for alcohol in 2020 and a recent review shows it has reduced the availability of cheap high-strength drinks.

In case you missed it...

Prof. Holloway from University of South Wales & Prof. Livingston from Wrexham Uni published in The Conversation.

After five years of research, the team outline some of their prominent findings:
theconversation.com/minimum-alco...
@drwulf.bsky.social @wrexhamuni.bsky.social