My understanding, like many people’s, of overdose prevention centres (OPCs) or drug consumption rooms (DCRs) was completely theoretical, limited to things I had read about and seen online. An OPC/DCR is a healthcare facility where people can consume drugs while supervised, rather than on the streets or in risky and unhygienic conditions. It allows [...]
Families who have lost loved ones do not want more political theatre. We want fewer funerals. Over the past few weeks, the Labour Party and the Prime Minister have repeatedly attacked the Green Party over its call to legally control and regulate the drug market. At Prime Minister’s Questions, Keir Starmer described the [...]
I was on a Teams call at work when Sandra’s name came up on my phone. There was nothing particularly unusual about that. Sandra was my brother’s key worker from Haringey council, so it would usually be something to do with the stuff of his life – a court appearance, an unpaid [...]
Experts and Families Call for Legal Control and Regulation in Leicester Hansom Hall, a Grade II listed landmark built in 1845 and known as the circular "Pork Pie Chapel," is named after its architect, Joseph Hansom. Hansom was a figure of great contrasts: famed for inventing the ubiquitous horse-drawn cab and designing monumental [...]
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 [...]
