A new study supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and North Cumbria has highlighted the severe and long‑lasting impact of corrosive substance attacks, often referred to as ‘acid attacks’, on people in the region. The North East currently reports some of the highest rates of these attacks outside London.
The study, published in Justice, Power and Resistance, was led by academics from Newcastle, Northumbria and Bristol Universities, working alongside clinicians from Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
Findings have led to recommendations for changes including longer-term support for victims, stronger coordination across services, tighter controls on corrosive substances, and targeted prevention in high‑risk areas.
Learning from lived experience
Researchers interviewed 14 men from the North East who had experienced serious chemical injuries to their eyes. The specialist eye care victims received was highly praised, but many said they felt unsupported by the wider system.
The research found that most attacks occur in areas facing long‑term social and economic challenges, such as high unemployment, poor housing and limited access to services.
Many incidents were linked to drug‑related disputes, street rivalries, and social tensions. In several areas, corrosive substances such as ammonia have become a ‘weapon of choice’ due to their low cost, availability, ease of concealment, and known ability to cause harm.
Many victims said they chose not to report their attack because they feared retaliation or lacked trust in the police and criminal justice system.
Victims described burns, partial or total sight loss, long‑term eye pain and repeated eye surgeries, alongside anxiety, hypervigilance and social withdrawal. Everyday activities became harder, and many no longer felt safe where they lived and worked.
Survivors praised the compassionate specialist care they received from the Newcastle Eye Centre at the Royal Victoria Infirmary, one of the UK’s leading ophthalmology departments.
Dr Alexander Wilson from Newcastle University is the study lead. He said:
Our study shows that corrosive substance attacks have far‑reaching effects that go well beyond the initial injury. Survivors told us about the fear, uncertainty and isolation they continue to live with long after their physical wounds begin to heal. By listening carefully to these experiences, we can better understand how services need to change so that support is more consistent, more compassionate, comprehensive and truly centred on victims’ lives.
Dr Louise Ridley is an Associate Professor of Criminology at Northumbria University and co-authored the research. She said:
Acid attacks do not happen in isolation. They are shaped by the social conditions people live in, including poverty, local disputes, drug‑related tensions and communities where trust in institutions has broken down. What we see in this research is a form of violence that has become normalised in some neighbourhoods, where corrosive substances are used to exert control or settle conflicts. Our research shows that we need to address the underlying inequalities, instability and lack of support that allow this harm to happen in the first place.
Recommendations from the study
Enhanced victim support – with a focus on holistic and sustained care. This could, for example, include the embedding of mental health specialists when dealing with ophthalmology emergencies and appointments.
Develop trauma-informed, people-centred policing – including an urgent review of police practices and accountability in cases, particularly in deprived areas, where victim trust in law enforcement is low.
Improve regulation and control – stricter controls on the sale and distribution of corrosive substances, including tighter regulation of online and retail access.
Wider reforms – strengthen the role of social care services in identifying and supporting at-risk individuals before violence occurs. Recognise and address the root causes of violence, including intergenerational trauma, addiction, and exclusion from education, employment, and healthcare.
Find out more
Read a plain language summary of the research
This study was funded via the NIHR ARC North East and North Cumbria’s ‘Open Funding Competition’ in 2021.