Let’s stop judging and start listening. By Hilary Mills How can it be possible that seven years have passed since my son Ben died from a heroin overdose? Some days, it seems like it was yesterday; the pain in my heart feels so sharp, my stomach feels like it’s been [...]
Written by Liv Hamilton and photographs by Nigel Brunsdon On 24th June 2025, as part of the Support Don’t Punish Global Day of Action, a group of activists, policymakers and bereaved families came together in Westminster to demand better drug laws which centre health and human rights. For me, the day was an insight [...]
This summer marks a decade since we launched Anyone’s Child: Families for Safer Drug Control. What began as a small group of bereaved families—united by the devastating loss of loved ones to preventable drug-related deaths—has grown into a powerful network of families calling for the urgent reform of the UK’s drug laws. Our journey started [...]
If we wait until someone has died to learn, we’ve waited too long. By Kirsten Horsburgh. Today I met a mother who lost her son to a drug-related death. I'm not a parent, and I won't pretend to understand that kind of loss. But sitting with her and hearing about her son, [...]
Why reclassification won't solve the ketamine crisis A voice from the frontline. By James Pierce Ketamine is a dissociative anesthetic used recreationally by people who enjoy the wide range of effects that can be experienced through its use. Within the UK ketamine is currently classified as a Class B drug under [...]
Photograph of Ellie Rowe Good news for the ketamine dealers This blog was written by Wendy Teasdill. My heart goes out to the family of James Lee Williams, perhaps better known as The Vivienne, winner of the first series of Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK. The Vivienne had long struggled with drug dependency [...]
This blog was written by Anyone's Child member, Hope Humphries. The UK locks up more people than any country in Europe, with the exception only of Belarus. In Europe prisons are emptying and closing. Here, although they keep building them, they are massively over crowded. Often two to a small [...]
"The Sheffield: Take Drugs Seriously event provided the platform for discussions on drug policy reform, harm reduction, and the broader socio-economic implications of prohibition. Members of the local community and the city's stakeholders came together and engaged in a critical dialogue about the failures of punitive drug policies in the UK and explored alternative, [...]
Between the Cracks We were delighted to attend the launch of a new poetry collection by friend of Anyone’s Child, Pete Weinstock, last week. This collection of poems is dedicated to the memory of Maggie Telfer (March 23, 1959-January 12, 2023) co-founder and Chief Executive of Bristol Drugs Project. All [...]
This blog was written by Anyone's Child member, Hilary, for International Overdose Awareness Day It's been a little over 5 years since my oldest son Ben died from a heroin overdose when he was 27. Ben had so much potential to give to the world and, above all, he was a kind and [...]
