25 May 2010

£1m funding boost for research into alcohol policy

A multi-disciplinary team of international experts, led by an academic at the University of Sheffield, has been awarded funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to explore policy interventions to reduce alcohol-related harm.

Dr Petra Meier, from the University´s School of Health and Related Research (ScHARR), will lead the research, which aims to drive a step-change in assessment of new and existing alcohol policies, especially in the areas of affordability and licensing.

The research is in collaboration with Loughborough University Business School and the London School of Economics and Political Science, and will be supported by an advisory group of top international scientists in the US, Canada and Australia.

The research programme aims to conduct policy appraisals to provide independent evidence that can be used to inform, policy decisions in the UK and internationally. Important elements of the work will be to develop methods to assess how international evidence applies in the UK, to estimate the impact of policies on different groups of the population, for example on those on low incomes, and to investigate past responses by industry and consumers to policy changes in the UK.

The three-year programme will be responsive to emerging information needs of policy stakeholders, for example by providing evidence for new alcohol policy options that are discussed.

Dr Petra Meier said: "Risky alcohol consumption causes major medical, social and economic problems for the UK and can have devastating effects on individuals and families. This MRC-funded research programme is a great opportunity to work with a team of leading UK and international scientists to provide policy makers with the best possible evidence on how to tackle this important public health problem."

Notes for Editors: For almost 100 years the Medical Research Council has improved the health of people in the UK and around the world by supporting the highest quality science. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer. Today MRC funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century.

To find out more information on addiction research, please visit the below link.

For further information please contact: Lauren Anderson, Media Relations Officer, on 0114 2221046 or email l.h.anderson@sheffield.ac.uk

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