Drugs, alcohol and criminal justice

Drug markets and their policing, the relationship between substance misuse and offending, and the provision and effectiveness of drug treatment for suspects and offenders are among the topics researched within this broad theme. ICPR studies have also looked at the scope and effects of licensing laws in England and Wales, and have considered the implications of drug criminalisation and decriminalisation.

Completed projects include:

Project ADDER and Place-based Accelerators Evaluation

Unmet treatment needs for heroin, crack and dependent alcohol users

Publications

Lloyd, C., Papworth, A., Page, G., Bhardwa, B., & May, T. (2025). Unmet Treatment Need Among Heroin and Crack Users and Dependent Drinkers: Final Report. National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). University of York & Birkbeck, University of London.

Verian in partnership with London Economics, the Institute for Crime & Justice Policy Research and Revolving Doors: Project ADDER: Impact evaluation (2025)

May, Tiggey and Bhardwa, Bina (2015) Markets and distribution systems: the birth, growth and transformation of UK drug markets. In: Brownstein, H.H. (ed.) The Handbook of Drugs and Society. Wiley Handbooks in Criminology and Criminal Justice 6. Chichester, U.K.: Wiley Blackwell, pp. 416-442.

Kirby, Amy and Jacobson, Jessica (2014) Public attitudes to the sentencing of drug offences. Criminology & Criminal Justice 14 (3), pp. 334-350.

Trautmann, F., Kilmer, B., Turnbull, Paul, May, Tiggey, Mcsweeney, Tim and Skrine, Oonagh (2013) Further insights into aspects of the EU illicit drugs market: summaries and key findings. Project Report. European Commission, Luxembourg.

McSweeney, Tim and Turnbull, Paul J. (2011) Enforcement strategies of drug control. In: Kleiman, M.A.R. and Hawdon, J.E. (eds.)Encyclopedia of Drug Policy. London, UK: Sage, pp. 176-182.