Families of people killed by drugs to march on parliament to demand decriminalisation
‘I’m walking for my son, so his existence isn’t meaningless, so that minds can be changed and attitudes altered’
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Families of people killed in drug-related deaths will next week start a six-day walk to parliament to raise awareness of the harms of current drug policy.
The walk, organised by Anyone’s Child, a collective of families affected by drugs who are campaigning for legal control and regulation of the drugs trade, will start on 20 June and end with families sharing their stories outside parliament.
The group are calling on MPs to regulate drugs, putting doctors, pharmacists and licensed vendors in charge of the illegal narcotics market, which they say will save lives.
“I’m walking for my son Jake, so his existence isn’t meaningless, so that 22 years of loving is not wasted, so that minds can be changed and attitudes altered,” Chris Evans, who lost her son to a drug overdose, said.
“I’m walking 55 miles of the Thames Path for my dead sons Jake and Roland. Along the way we want to raise awareness and funding for our campaign,” said Rose Humphries, who lost two sons to overdoses.
Anne-Marie Cockburn, who co-founded Anyone’s Child, and who lost her 15-year-old daughter Martha to an overdose, said: “As I stand by my child’s grave, what more evidence do I need that things must change? I believe that my daughter would still be alive today had she taken something that was legally regulated.”
In the UK, 70 people die in drug-related deaths every week, according to research by the European Monitoring Centre on Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
James Nicholls, chief executive of the Transform Drug Policy Foundation, told The Independent: “This campaign wants to see a radical change to drug policy. All drugs can be harmful, but the law as it stands makes them much more dangerous. We want to see drugs legally regulated, as is the case for alcohol and tobacco.
“At the moment, people have no idea what they are buying and we see countless deaths every year from accidental overdose or poisoning. The amount of violence linked to supply is also spiralling. These families have experienced the tragic consequences of all this, which is why they’re calling for the government to bring the drug trade under control.”
Jane Slater, Anyone’s Child coordinator, told The Independent: “Our drug laws can harm anyone’s child. Keeping drugs illegal isn’t keeping our children safe, it’s putting them in danger. Our voices must be heard and our politicians must listen.”
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments