Mental Health Act to cover severe substance use if life-threatening

• Petition
• Statistics
• Map

Petition Action

Mental Health Act to cover severe substance use if life-threatening

Petition Details

We call on the Government to amend the Mental Health Act to include severe substance use disorder. Currently, this alone does not meet the threshold for detention. If a person is deemed to have mental capacity, they can refuse treatment even if their addiction is causing life-threatening harm.

Additional Information

I am calling on the Government to amend the Mental Health Act to address, what in our view, is a dangerous gap in severe addiction cases. When substance dependence is causing life-threatening harm, services may decline assessment because addiction alone does not meet Mental Health Act thresholds. We believe this leaves professionals and families powerless while people deteriorate. We need a statutory duty to assess high-risk cases and lawful pathways to intervene to preserve life.

If you want to sign this petition (as opposed to merely discuss it), you need to do that on the government's e-Petitions website.

Sign this petition
at petition.parliament.uk

Have your say on this petition!