Two of the leading Sheffield alcohol modellers, John Holmes and Colin Angus, have joined the Institute of Alcohol Studies' Expert Panel. The Institute of Alcohol Studies is almost entirely funded by the Alliance House Foundation whose key objective is "to promote alcoholic abstinence" and bring about "an alcohol free society". They set up the IAS in 1987 when they closed down the UK Temperance Alliance. All these groups are direct descendents of the prohibitionist United Kingdom Alliance for the Suppression of the Traffic in all Intoxicating Liquor. When the IAS went whining to the press regulator about The Times describing them as part of the "anti-drink" lobby they lost, because they obviously are.
By contrast, the Sheffield Addictions Research Group (SARG), as it now calls itself, is supposed to be an impartial group of egghead mathematicians doing careful modelling for governments.
But that conceit has never been very persuasive...
SARG has worked closely with the Institute for many years – our researchers have been involved in a wide range of IAS outputs, while senior colleagues from the IAS have sat on Steering Groups for SARG research projects.
Fancy that.
Reflecting on the appointment, Professor John Holmes said:
"Having worked closely with the IAS for many years, providing informal advice and supporting their research, I am delighted to take up a formal role on the panel. The IAS plays a vital role in ensuring that public debate on alcohol is informed by the best available evidence, and I look forward to supporting their mission over the next three years."
It's nice to finally make it official. I'm sure they'll be very happy there.
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