Have your say on government e-petitions

Law to allow families to request compulsory assessment when addiction risks life

Submitted by Irene O'Reilly on Wednesday 4th March 2026

Published on Tuesday 7th April 2026

Current status: Open

Open until: Wednesday 7th October 2026

Current Signatures: 200
(count is updated approximately hourly)

Relevant Departments

Tagged with

abuse ~ Awareness ~ Compulsory ~ country ~ Courts ~ Deaths ~ Drugs ~ Enable ~ Ensure ~ Families ~ Impulse ~ Judgement ~ Law ~ Medic ~ Oversight ~ Prevent ~ Request ~ risk ~ Safeguarding ~ Severe ~ Substance ~ Viewing

Petition Action

Law to allow families to request compulsory assessment when addiction risks life

Petition Details

The Government should pass a Substance Abuse and Addiction Act. It should let families, with medical evidence and court oversight, request compulsory assessment when severe addiction risks life, ensure quicker treatment, better integrated services, more safeguards, and lawful early intervention.

Additional Information

Our country has high drug-related deaths. We view addiction as a chronic brain disorder that impairs judgement, impulse control, and risk awareness. Families often can't act early enough. Several other countries allow court-supervised early intervention. A UK Act would prioritise treatment, enable better safeguarding, and give families more legal tools to prevent avoidable deaths. We think the UK is behind other countries and we need laws changed to help families.


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