Twice bereaved mother delivers drug deaths petition to Downing Street

A mother who lost two sons to drugs handed a petition from The Salvation Army into Downing Street today calling for the rise in drug deaths to be treated as a public health emergency.

*New analysis of national drug death stats from across the UK by The Salvation Army shows that 18 people in the UK die from drugs every day compared to 11 people a day a decade ago. The Salvation Army, which has a 160-year history of supporting people living with addiction, has warned that this rise in deaths has been compounded by cuts to addiction services. 

The church and charity’s petition, which garnered almost 1,700 signatures, was backed by 61-year-old Liz Brown, a mother of four from Plymouth, who tragically lost her two sons, Karl, 38 in March 2022 and Lee, 42 in December 2024 to drugs. 

Liz said: “No mother should experience what I have gone through. That’s why I’m supporting The Salvation Army’s call for urgent action to prevent other people from losing their lives. 

“I’m a mother of four children – two boys and two girls - but drugs took both of my sons from me. The pictures I took of one of my sons when he was in hospital once and he was full of tubes still frighten me now. 

“A lot of people don’t see someone who takes drugs as a person who deserves help which breaks my heart. What they don’t realise is that people with an addiction are suffering. I know from my experience with my sons that having a go at them for taking drugs or trying to make them feel ashamed sadly doesn’t change anything and it doesn’t stop them dying. What people in this situation need is ongoing professional help.” 

The Salvation Army’s Assistant Director of Addictions, Major Dr Will Pearson who accompanied Liz to hand in the petition, said: “Every death is a tragedy, but it’s even worse when that life could have been saved. Drugs are killing some of the most vulnerable people in our society. If any other health condition caused such an increase in deaths in a decade it would have long been declared a public health emergency. 

“Behind the alarming figures are people like Liz’s sons and action is needed now before more lives are needlessly lost. The UK Government must work with officials across England, Scotland and Wales so that public services see an addiction for what it is, a chronic health issue that requires support not punishment. All lives are precious and saving them should be a top priority for Government.” 
 

As a leading provider of support for people dealing with addiction, The Salvation Army has helped hundreds of people with their recovery journey. The church and charity takes what is known as a harm reduction approach, which combines compassion with practical support, prioritises people's safety and removes barriers to receiving help. Find out more about our Addiction Service. 

*The Salvation Army’s analysis on number of people dying a day in UK was taken from the four most recent data sets on drug deaths in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. The figures in the four data sets were combined and divided by 365 to get the figure of 18 people a day.