Professor Holloway appointed to UK Gov drugs advice body
14 January, 2025
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Minister for Crime and Policing, Dame Diana Johnson, has appointed Professor Katy Holloway, from the University of South Wales (USW), to the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs.
Ten leading experts have joined the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD) to strengthen its vital work advising the government on drug harms.
The new members’ expertise spans crucial areas, including public health, law enforcement and scientific research.
The ACMD assess substances that are being misused or could potentially cause significant health and social harms, as well as conducting in-depth inquiries into aspects of drug use that are causing particular concern in the UK.
In 2013, Professor Holloway was appointed Professor of Criminology at USW. During her academic career, her research has focused on substance use. She has conducted studies that have investigated a wide range of substance-related issues including: drug use among arrestees, the causal connection between drug use and crime among prisoners, the effectiveness of drug treatment, the use of Take-Home Naloxone among people who use opiates, the implementation of the Welsh Substance Misuse Strategy, the characteristics of opiate overdose events, substance use and misuse among university students, and the misuse and diversion of over-the-counter and prescription medication.
More recently, Professor Holloway has been involved in research investigating the impact of minimum pricing for alcohol in Wales. She has also worked closely with substance misuse services across Wales on a collaborative project investigating what lessons can be learned from lockdown moving forward into a post-COVID world. The philosophy of harm reduction underpins her research and she is a member of the Welsh Government's National Implementation Board for Drug Poisoning Prevention and Executive Board member of the Dyfodol, IRIS, Gwent and Dyfed Drug and Alcohol Service consortium of substance misuse treatment providers.
Professor Holloway is currently working on a Welsh Government funded national evaluation of Buvidal (opioid substitution therapy) and on an evaluation of the organisational impact of Substance Use Officers for Welsh Probation Service. She is also co-leading, with Dr Ben Gray from Public Health Wales, a qualitative study (funded by Health Care Research Wales) investigating changes in substance use among people during their time in prison and at the critical moment after their release.
Professor Katy Holloway said: “I am delighted to be appointed to the ACMD and looking forward to working with esteemed colleagues in the substance use field. This is a wonderful opportunity to help make a difference to the lives of people affected by substance use problems in the UK - a mission at the heart of USW’s Substance Use Research Group.
“I am fortunate to be in this position due to the outstanding team I work with and all that we have achieved together.”
Minister for Crime and Policing, Dame Diana Johnson, said: "I am delighted to welcome the new members and reappoint those that have done such vital work to the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs.
“This wealth of experience will be invaluable in the council's ability to provide evidence-based advice that helps protect our communities."