With a new government and over half the number of MPs elected for the first time, it’s important for Taking Action on Addiction (TAOA) to enlist new supporters to help get addiction and recovery further up the political agenda.
To this end, we gathered in parliament yesterday, on the same day that the Office for National Statistics reported a staggering 11% increase in drug related deaths in the last year.
Joining us were some of our incredible contributors from last year’s Everybody Knows Somebody campaign film and the amazing team behind its production, Raw Research.
After we showed the campaign film, we heard from two of the film’s contributors;
Deborah Casserly told us about her 21 year old son Barney who died due to Ketamine addiction. Special thanks to Deborah all the other family members who lost a loved one to addiction who came along. We never forget that behind the statistics, each and every one of those we have lost to addiction are people who were much loved and missed.
Nav from the Midlands carried the message of hope and that recovery is possible. Nav and Roxy were there from the support group they set up for the South East Asian community, No More Pretending.
The reception was sponsored by our parliamentary champion Dan Carden MP for Liverpool Walton. Dan spoke about his own alcohol addiction and subsequent recovery. He gave a vital message to all parliamentarians that addiction can happen to anyone, it impacts constituents, their families and communities in a devastating way.
Forward Trust’s outgoing Chair of Trustees David Bernstein gave a powerful reminder of the years of recovery that had assembled together in the room.
We may have been blessed by glorious weather but we were even more blessed with being in a room full of inspirational people from our recovery community.
But, the stakes are high – it is true that thousands of people overcome addiction and related mental health problems every year but is also true that thousands of others die every year from drug and alcohol related causes – this tragic trend is increasing and requires urgent action from the new government.
Our politicians need to accept that addiction is never a choice and it’s a growing crisis, that we cannot be willing to brush away as minor, or insignificant. It impacts the health of our country and is holding back growth.
Please join our fight!
You can help by contacting your MP and ask them to join Dan Carden in supporting the Taking Action on Addiction campaign for greater understanding, and better treatment, for the people, families and communities that are struggling with addiction.
Contact our Policy, Campaigns & PR Manager Fiona McDonald: Fiona.mcdonald@forwardtrust.org.uk 07485315614