Dr Rob Ralphs
Reader in Criminology, Manchester Metropolitan University
Biography
Rob has been researching both substance use and drug markets for over 20 years. His interest in drug markets emerged from the three year ESRC funded ‘Youth Gangs in an English City: Social Exclusion, Drugs and Violence’ study for which he was lead researcher. More recently, he has conducted research exploring prison drug markets, with a particular focus on new psychoactive substances (NPS). Manchester City Council’s Community Safety Partnership Board has primarily funded his current research on substance use. This body of research focuses on emerging drug trends; in particular, NPS use including ‘chemsex’ and substance use amongst rough sleepers and people with street based lifestyles.