The devastation that  substance use disorder can wreak in our communities is not an abstract notion; it is a terrifyingly real experience that shatters lives and families. Personally, I stand here as a mourning parent who lost their 23-year-old son and his friends to the overpowering clutches of substance use such as ketamine and heroin ect. Accessing street drugs is easy theres no escape its everywhere and can easily be bought online, But my story is far from unique; there are countless families suffering through this harrowing ordeal. 
The severity of the issue is illustrated in cold, hard numbers. A staggering 70,630 lives were lost to drug overdose in the United States alone in 2019 (source: CDC). In the UK the figures of death and addictions are rising rapidly according to the latest annual data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). In 2023, there were 5,448 fatalities were now in year 2025 This escalating crisis paints a chilling picture: we are losing an entire generation to a war they are not equipped to fight alone but are sadly left on there own to struggle and endure the pain  and suffering from mental illness/ health trauma, sickness,depression, crippling pain, panic attacks, severe insomnia, isolation loss of families, homelessness, these are just a few of the problems substance use brings and relationship breakdowns because of lack of understanding towards the addiction,  the list goes on !!
To mitigate this epidemic, we need comprehensive support systems and strategies initiated by the government. Investment in education, prevention, and treatment programs, as well as a shift from punitive action to supportive measures, can dramatically alter the trajectory of this crisis.
We cannot stand idly by as our children, our siblings, our friends get swallowed by this grim epidemic. We bring this petition to the public, seeking your support to raise a collective voice, strong enough to reach the corridors of Parliament. Let's urge our lawmakers to act decisively and promptly to institute comprehensive measures against drug addiction and related deaths. We urge you to sign this petition; your support can be a lifeline for someone fighting a desperate battle.

 Substance use disorder, addictions is a chronic medical condition. It can create long-term changes to your brain this is what makes it hard to stop using!

It takes much more than willpower to break free of prescription and drug misuse,

Let's get rid of the awful stigma because this is an addiction A mind/ brain altering disease!!

Thank you In Advance Jennifer Kitchen