Alex Stevens
@profalexstevens.bsky.social
Professor of Criminology, University of Sheffield. Trustee at Criminal Justice Alliance. Volunteer for Visually Impaired Sailing Association and Sheffield Jazz. Peak District walker. Drug policy geek.
Pinned
The QS world university rankings game is getting ever more ridiculous. I am now getting emails from universities I have never heard of, begging me to big them up.
December 24, 2025 at 12:22 PM
The QS world university rankings game is getting ever more ridiculous. I am now getting emails from universities I have never heard of, begging me to big them up.
Interesting estimate of the number of people in the USA who inject drugs, with substantial fall since 2018. Our estimates in the UK are years out of date.
Estimated Number of People Who Inject Drugs in the United States, 2022
"There were an estimated 2 392 100 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1 323 300, 4 648 100) PWID in 2022, which was 35% lower than the 2018 estimate."
ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2...
"There were an estimated 2 392 100 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1 323 300, 4 648 100) PWID in 2022, which was 35% lower than the 2018 estimate."
ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2...
Estimated Number of People Who Inject Drugs in the United States, 2022 | AJPH | Vol. Issue
Objectives. To estimate the population size of people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States in 2022. Methods. We constructed a hybrid estimator, which applied the ratio of nonfatal to fatal ove...
ajph.aphapublications.org
December 23, 2025 at 7:06 AM
Interesting estimate of the number of people in the USA who inject drugs, with substantial fall since 2018. Our estimates in the UK are years out of date.
Reposted by Alex Stevens
After Canada legalized cannabis, police caught more drunk drivers
After Canada legalized cannabis, police caught more drunk drivers
Police reported more drug and alcohol impairment after 2018. The growth seemed more due to enforcement changes and pandemic restrictions than to legalized cannabis.
theconversation.com
December 18, 2025 at 8:42 PM
After Canada legalized cannabis, police caught more drunk drivers
Please can we stop using journal rankings?
Journal prestige overlooks most influential papers. Our analysis shows that top impact factor journals only catch a small fraction of equally influential articles. There's a lot more science deserving of recognition! #AcademicTwitter #AcademicChatter journals.plos.org/plosbiology/...
Most researchers would receive more recognition if assessed by article-level metrics than by journal-level metrics
Are authors fairly judged by assessment of the prestige of the journals in which their work is published? This study compares article level metrics with journal level metrics, finding that the vast ma...
journals.plos.org
December 19, 2025 at 6:38 AM
Please can we stop using journal rankings?
Farage told to apologise for his racism www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Nigel Farage told to apologise by 26 of his school contemporaries
Open letter to Reform UK leader expresses ‘dismay and anger’ at his response to racism and antisemitism allegations
www.theguardian.com
December 17, 2025 at 7:10 AM
Farage told to apologise for his racism www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Alex Stevens
Latest monthly visa application figures are out.
Skilled workers? Still dropping.
Health & care workers? Still dropping.
Slow clap.
Skilled workers? Still dropping.
Health & care workers? Still dropping.
Slow clap.
December 11, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Latest monthly visa application figures are out.
Skilled workers? Still dropping.
Health & care workers? Still dropping.
Slow clap.
Skilled workers? Still dropping.
Health & care workers? Still dropping.
Slow clap.
Reposted by Alex Stevens
"Migrants who came to the UK on skilled work visas in 2022-23 will make a net contribution of £47bn to the public finances over their lifetime, according to new estimates from the government’s Migration Advisory Committee."
Not surprising, but some observations (1/n)
www.ft.com/content/10da...
Not surprising, but some observations (1/n)
www.ft.com/content/10da...
December 11, 2025 at 6:09 PM
"Migrants who came to the UK on skilled work visas in 2022-23 will make a net contribution of £47bn to the public finances over their lifetime, according to new estimates from the government’s Migration Advisory Committee."
Not surprising, but some observations (1/n)
www.ft.com/content/10da...
Not surprising, but some observations (1/n)
www.ft.com/content/10da...
How and why consensus fractured at the 2024 session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs: an exploratory study of international drug policy constellations using social network analysis and qualitative comparative analysis. @deppjournal.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... £0 #OA
How and why consensus fractured at the 2024 session of the UN Commission on narcotic drugs: an exploratory study of international drug policy constellations using social network analysis and qualitati...
Consensus in international drug policy has fractured. It would be useful to explain how and why this occurred.This exploratory study develops and tests theory and methods for describing and explain...
www.tandfonline.com
December 8, 2025 at 6:48 AM
How and why consensus fractured at the 2024 session of the UN Commission on Narcotic Drugs: an exploratory study of international drug policy constellations using social network analysis and qualitative comparative analysis. @deppjournal.bsky.social www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... £0 #OA
Can we crowd fund a defamation case against Farage (and Tice) for calling his accusers liars? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Farage turns on broadcasters over racism allegations as number of claims hits 28
Reform leader suggests he would boycott BBC, saying he has had letter from Dulwich pupils defending him
www.theguardian.com
December 5, 2025 at 3:51 AM
Can we crowd fund a defamation case against Farage (and Tice) for calling his accusers liars? www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Reposted by Alex Stevens
Not hard to slow HIV spread among/from people who inject drugs. 1 start needle syringe programs early, expand rapidly to scale; 2 expand & liberalise drug treatment esp opioid substitution; 3 provide peer based information to PWIDs; 4 establish organisations run by & for PWIDs @aivl.bsky.social
On #WorldAIDSDay, remember that people are still catching HIV from sharing injecting equipment. And this can be prevented. #HarmReduction
December 1, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Not hard to slow HIV spread among/from people who inject drugs. 1 start needle syringe programs early, expand rapidly to scale; 2 expand & liberalise drug treatment esp opioid substitution; 3 provide peer based information to PWIDs; 4 establish organisations run by & for PWIDs @aivl.bsky.social
On #WorldAIDSDay, remember that people are still catching HIV from sharing injecting equipment. And this can be prevented. #HarmReduction
December 1, 2025 at 1:28 PM
On #WorldAIDSDay, remember that people are still catching HIV from sharing injecting equipment. And this can be prevented. #HarmReduction
Comically self-destructive www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Your Party conference thrown into chaos as Zarah Sultana boycotts first day
Sultana skips Saturday’s proceeding in solidarity with delegates expelled over links to other parties
www.theguardian.com
November 30, 2025 at 7:54 AM
Comically self-destructive www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
Great news for very many families.
Scrapping the two-child limit in full is a monumental decision. Well done to all involved in the Child Poverty Strategy, and everyone who has made the case against the policy.
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
OBR says scrapping costs £3 billion in 2029-30 and will lift 450,000 out of poverty
November 26, 2025 at 2:02 PM
Great news for very many families.
Reposted by Alex Stevens
Great news - The deadline for the 2026 Conference of the International Society for the Study of #DrugPolicy in Perth Australia has been extended to 15 December. 🦘
To submit you abstracts go to issdp.org
To submit you abstracts go to issdp.org
November 25, 2025 at 3:05 PM
Great news - The deadline for the 2026 Conference of the International Society for the Study of #DrugPolicy in Perth Australia has been extended to 15 December. 🦘
To submit you abstracts go to issdp.org
To submit you abstracts go to issdp.org
Reposted by Alex Stevens
New: Three new ex-pupils come forward, on the record, to say Farage's racism as a teenager was targeted, persistent and nasty. Farage has denied targeting any individuals - but two of the men tell us they recall Farage abusing Peter Ettedgui.
w/ Dan Boffey, @drblacklock.bsky.social
w/ Dan Boffey, @drblacklock.bsky.social
Three more ex-pupils at school with Nigel Farage reject ‘banter’ claims
Exclusive: Dulwich college contemporaries ‘rubbish’ Reform UK leader’s suggestion alleged racist taunts not intended to hurt
www.theguardian.com
November 25, 2025 at 9:17 PM
New: Three new ex-pupils come forward, on the record, to say Farage's racism as a teenager was targeted, persistent and nasty. Farage has denied targeting any individuals - but two of the men tell us they recall Farage abusing Peter Ettedgui.
w/ Dan Boffey, @drblacklock.bsky.social
w/ Dan Boffey, @drblacklock.bsky.social
I was at Nigel Farage's sister school in the 1980s, with several Jewish pupils. Taunting them about the holocaust was not part of our 'banter'.
November 25, 2025 at 6:25 PM
I was at Nigel Farage's sister school in the 1980s, with several Jewish pupils. Taunting them about the holocaust was not part of our 'banter'.
Farage is, and always was, a racist.
"You will recall that at the recent lengthy, meeting about the selection of prefects, the remark by a colleague that Farage was "a fascist but that was no reason why he would not make a good prefect" invoked considerable reaction
- 1981 letter from Dulwich English teacher to the headteacher
- 1981 letter from Dulwich English teacher to the headteacher
November 24, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Farage is, and always was, a racist.
Reposted by Alex Stevens
The SSA is now accepting applications for full-time PhD studentships. Funding will include a stipend (living allowance), tuition fees, and research and training costs. Find out how to apply: tinyurl.com/y3n5dvk2
November 20, 2025 at 10:27 AM
The SSA is now accepting applications for full-time PhD studentships. Funding will include a stipend (living allowance), tuition fees, and research and training costs. Find out how to apply: tinyurl.com/y3n5dvk2
Reposted by Alex Stevens
ISSDP is running a panel at the #OC24 Conference on Global Organized Crime on “Advancing global drug market analysis.” Chaired by Professor Peter Reuter and featuring leading #DrugMarket and #DrugPolicy scholars. Please join us: oc24.heysummit.com/talks/advanc...
24-hour Conference on Global Organized Crime
A Talk by Professor Laura Atuesta, Phillip Screen, Hamid Azizi, Rafaella Lipschitz & Dr Peter Reuter PhD
oc24.heysummit.com
November 22, 2025 at 5:18 AM
ISSDP is running a panel at the #OC24 Conference on Global Organized Crime on “Advancing global drug market analysis.” Chaired by Professor Peter Reuter and featuring leading #DrugMarket and #DrugPolicy scholars. Please join us: oc24.heysummit.com/talks/advanc...
Idea for the next King's Speech: a law that forces rail operators to accept each other's tickets in cases of delays.
November 21, 2025 at 6:58 PM
Idea for the next King's Speech: a law that forces rail operators to accept each other's tickets in cases of delays.
I blame the people who voted for Johnson, especially the Tory MPs who elected him as their leader, despite knowing he was an incompetent liar.
UK Covid inquiry:
Chairwoman of the inquiry, former judge Baroness Hallett, said the UK's response could be summarised as "too little, too late"
Lockdown could have been avoided - but action came too late
'Chaotic' government with key figures criticised including Dominic Cummings & Boris Johnson
Chairwoman of the inquiry, former judge Baroness Hallett, said the UK's response could be summarised as "too little, too late"
Lockdown could have been avoided - but action came too late
'Chaotic' government with key figures criticised including Dominic Cummings & Boris Johnson
November 20, 2025 at 10:05 PM
I blame the people who voted for Johnson, especially the Tory MPs who elected him as their leader, despite knowing he was an incompetent liar.
Fall in opioid deaths in BC is more likely down to a shift from injection to inhalation than policing.
Thank you @isabella zavarise for bringing attention to this. The public deserves credible reports about public investments. Real lives are at stake. The vancouver mayor’s comments are shameful given the crisis we are in. www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
Vancouver mayor credits DTES task force with reducing overdoses. Here’s what public health experts say
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim continues to laud the impacts of a police-led task force focused on crime on Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside, claiming it led to a reduction in overdoses.
www.ctvnews.ca
November 20, 2025 at 7:00 AM
Fall in opioid deaths in BC is more likely down to a shift from injection to inhalation than policing.
Reposted by Alex Stevens
NEW DATA: This briefing provides updates to key data from our flagship report, The Global State of Harm Reduction. The update also summarises funding and policy developments since the 2024 report.
Global State of Harm Reduction: 2025 Update to Key Data - Harm Reduction International %
Global State of Harm Reduction 2025: key data updates on harm reduction services, funding and drug policy worldwide amid major 2025 US funding cuts.
hri.global
November 19, 2025 at 11:03 AM
NEW DATA: This briefing provides updates to key data from our flagship report, The Global State of Harm Reduction. The update also summarises funding and policy developments since the 2024 report.
Joined the running picked today with @ucu.org.uk @sheffielduni.bsky.social. Oldest (and slowest) there. It takes real #solidarity to run up Sheffield hills to the management school.
November 18, 2025 at 2:35 PM
Joined the running picked today with @ucu.org.uk @sheffielduni.bsky.social. Oldest (and slowest) there. It takes real #solidarity to run up Sheffield hills to the management school.
Whatever the charge, the death penalty is wrong. #Bangladesh
November 17, 2025 at 2:22 PM
Whatever the charge, the death penalty is wrong. #Bangladesh