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 [...]
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 [...]
“People using drugs are expecting stigma and shame. You have to be extremely careful not to slip up and make them feel uncomfortable.” “You’re interviewing people who should be in prison, you should denounce them to the authorities.” “Not all people using drugs are vulnerable, this assumption is so stigmatising!” “Sharing a story anonymously [...]
This blog makes the case for the legalisation and regulation of drugs by explaining how it can protect young and vulnerable people in our communities. This piece is an edited extract of Transform’s Debating Drugs guide. Rather than protecting young and vulnerable people, the so-called ‘drug war’ (prohibition) has placed them at ever-greater risk of: the [...]
This blog was written by Anyone's Child coordinator, Mary. August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, a time to remember those who have died by drug overdose and raise awareness about overdose prevention and drug policy. This year, the IOAD 2023 theme is Recognizing those people who go unseen. It is a call to [...]
This blog is written by Anyone’s Child member Hope Humphreys. A truth, universally acknowledged, is that laws are there to keep us safer. But is it true? What about UK Drug Laws? The Government doesn’t approve of drugs. People must not use them, end of, and there are strict, punitive, policies to stop us. [...]
Just recently the Scottish Government announced proposals to decriminalise the personal possession of drugs and explore a roadmap to legal regulation. Their proposals show a commitment to treating drugs as a matter of health, rather than a criminal issue. If Westminster were to allow Scotland to move forward with these proposals, we could see a [...]
