Ian Hamilton

80

Articles

226

Comments

Ian investigates the impact drug use has on individuals and populations. Focusing on the social, health and political issues related to drug and alcohol use.

He writes a regular column for The Independent - https://www.independent.co.uk/author/ian-hamilton-0, provides opinion pieces for the British Medical Journal as well as publishing academic papers.

Prior to becoming an academic Ian worked as a mental health nurse working with people who had a severe mental health problem and used drugs or alcohol problematically. He also has experience of working with rough sleepers and people who are homeless.

Experience

  • 2004–present
    Associate professor, University of York

Publications

  • 2022
    The UK tinkers around the edges of drug policy but it still needs national reform, BMJ
  • 2021
    Alcohol related deaths are on the rise, but we reamin a nation indenial., BMJ
  • 2021
    Those with the least have suffered the most during the covid-19 pandemic, BMJ
  • 2020
    Loosening regulations on controlled drugs during the covid-19 pandemic., BMJ
  • 2020
    Even in a pandemic, young people are still exploited by county line drug gangs., BMJ
  • 2020
    Is alcohol really 'essential' during covid-19 ?, BMJ
  • 2020
    Covid-19 - are we rationing who we care about ?, BMJ
  • 2020
    Focusing on GHB ignores the more common involvement of alcohol in sexual assault., BMJ
  • 2020
    They talk, we die - the continuing paralyses of UK drug policy, BMJ
  • 2020
    Will prejudice be a barrier to understanding the potential of psychedelics in treating depression?, BMJ
  • 2020
    What will covid-19 mean for the illegal drug market and people dependent on it ? , BMJ
  • 2019
    Dry January is no match for the growing harms of alcohol consumption, BMJ
  • 2019
    The gaps in our understanding of cannabis dependence, BMJ
  • 2019
    Reclassifying pregabalin and gabapentin only moves the problem onto other drugs, BMJ
  • 2019
    Cannabis and Psychosis: Are We any Closer to Understanding the Relationship?, Current Psychiatry Reports
  • 2019
    The inequality of deaths from alcohol., BMJ
  • 2019
    New guidelines for prescribing medicinal cannabis—another dashed hope for patients., BMJ
  • 2019
    Prescription drugs are no cure for deprivation., BMJ
  • 2018
    A 10 year strategy for mental health research which ignores drug use., Advances in Dual Diagnosis
  • 2018
    Decisions about medicinal cannabis should be made by the health department., BMJ
  • 2018
    A painful lesson: are we repeating previous mistakes in pain management?, The Lancet
  • 2018
    Language alone cannot reduce the stigma that people who use drugs experience. , BMJ
  • 2018
    Rising numbers of older and female cannabis users seeking treatment in England and Wales., Drugs: Education, prevention and policy.
  • 2018
    Are middle class drug users really to blame for the rise in violent crime?, BMJ
  • 2018
    Are nurses ready to manage patient expectations of cannabis-based products ?, Nursing Times
  • 2018
    Licensing process for medicinal cannabis will be neither swift nor equitable., Nursing Times
  • 2017
    Healthcare professionals need more guidance to reduce the risk of cannabis related health problems, BMJ
  • 2017
    Cannabis, psychosis and schizophrenia: unravelling a complex interaction, Journal of Addiction
  • 2016
    Guidance is needed on synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists and cannabis., BMJ
  • 2016
    Cannabis matters? Treatment responses to increasing cannabis presentations in addiction services in England., Drugs Education Prevention and Policy
  • 2016
    Could campaigns like Dry January do more harm than good ?, BMJ
  • 2016
    The need for health warnings about cannabis and psychosis., The Lancet Psychiatry
  • 2016
    Rebranding schizophrenia is unlikely to reduce stigma., BMJ
  • 2016
    A national prescription drug line could help assess the non-medical use of prescription drugs., BMJ
  • 2015
    Psychotropic induced sexual dysfunction for people with a dual diagnosis., Advances in Dual Diagnosis
  • 2015
    The impact of assertive outreach teams on hospital admissions for psychosis, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursiing
  • 2015
    Cannabis psychosis, gender matters., Advances in Dual Diagnosis
  • 2014
    The 10 most important debates surrounding Dual Diagnosis, Advances in Dual Diagnosis
  • 2014
    The emerging cannabis treatment population, Drugs and Alcohol Today
  • 2013
    Effect of reclassification of cannabis on hospital admissions for cannabis psychosis: A time series analysis., International Journal of Drug Policy
  • 2013
    Drug interactions and dual diagnosis, Advances in Dual Diagnosis

Professional Memberships

  • Nursing and Midwifery Council
  • Society for the study of addiction
  • Expert Royal College of Nursing

Contact Ian for

  • General
  • Media request
  • Speaking request
  • Consulting / Advising