Substance Use Research Group (SURG)

Description

Situated within the Centre for Criminology at the University of South Wales, the Substance Use Research Group (SURG), established in 2019, undertakes top-tier research on drug and alcohol usage. The group, comprising scholars investigates various facets of substance use, including harm reduction, drug production and supply, legal responses, substance use in university students, 'treatment-resistant' heroin users, and substance misuse policy implementation.

SURG maintains strong collaborative ties with a broad spectrum of professionals in Wales' substance misuse sector. This includes academic peers at different institutions, Welsh Government officials, Public Health Wales personnel, and third-sector organisations. Among other responsibilities, SURG offers research support to the DIGDDAS consortium, serves on the Welsh Government’s National Drug Poisoning Prevention Implementation Board, oversees a KESS-funded PhD student in partnership with Kaleidoscope, and collaborates with Barod on a university-focused substance misuse service. In 2021, SURG grew by appointing two Visiting Professors. Moreover, a Senior Drug Policy Manager at the Welsh Government completed her doctorate at USW, while one more is a Consultant Psychiatrist at Cardiff's Community Addictions Unit.

SURG has a robust history of securing internal and external funding for substance misuse research, having obtained grants from sources such as the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Welsh Government, South Wales Police Crime and Commissioner, and third-sector treatment providers. Their research has resulted in a variety of high-quality publications that have contributed significantly to the evidence base on substance use.

Currently, SURG is participating in several externally-funded projects, examining topics such as the Gwent heroin and crack action area evaluation, Covid-19 lessons for substance misuse service provision, Barod Digital Intervention Service evaluation, improving outcomes for treatment-resistant heroin users, minimum alcohol pricing impacts on drinkers and their families, misuse of over-the-counter and prescription medication, and substance misuse among university students as part of the Higher Education Alcohol and Drugs (HEADS) programme.

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

Founding year

2019

Contact details

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University affiliation(s)

University of South Wales
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