The Princess of Wales has called for the “stigma” faced by those with addictions to end and society to show “compassion and love” to those dependent on drugs, alcohol or gambling.
Kate said society’s experience of addiction was “shaped by fear, shame, and judgment.” She urged people to have open conversations and bring the issue “out of the shadows,” in a message to mark Addiction Awareness Week, which runs from November 23 to November 30.
The princess is patron of the Forward Trust, a charity supporting recovering addicts behind the week-long campaign, which commissioned an Ipsos survey revealing a majority of adults questioned have experienced or know someone who has lived with forms of dependency.
Kate said in her message: “Addiction is not a choice, or a personal failing, but a complex mental health condition that should be met with empathy and support. But still, even now in 2025, people’s experience of addiction is shaped by fear, shame and judgement. This needs to change.
“The stigma surrounding those who face addiction allows it to thrive behind closed doors, impacting families and communities, and ultimately ruining lives. Many of us will know someone who is struggling with an addiction.
“Now is the moment to show our compassion and love to help them, or their friends and family, to reach out to organisations like The Forward Trust for support.”
Kate, who launched the first Addiction Awareness Week in 2021 on behalf of the trust, added: “Recovery is hard, but with the right treatment it is possible. And this begins with a conversation, a listening ear and showing we care.
“So please join the conversation. By talking about it in the open, together we can bring addiction and the harm it causes out of the shadows.”
She continued: “We can reframe this issue with kindness and understanding, and we can help individuals and families coping with addiction know they are not alone.”
The Ipsos survey has been released as part of the Forward Trust’s Taking Action on Addiction campaign, launched by Kate in 2021 to get the nation discussing addiction to tackle stigma, which can be a barrier to accessing support.
The poll carried out in October found 53% of 2,124 people questioned had personal experience of addiction or know someone who did.
Of those who said they had direct experience of addiction, 53% reported they would be uncomfortable speaking about their situation with their employer, 35% with a close family member, 30% with a friend, 28% with their GP and 27% with their partner.
While 31% of those questioned agreed with the statement that those who experience addiction have only themselves to blame, one in four (41%) disagreed.
The poll found 81% of those surveyed agreed that those addicted or dependent on alcohol, drugs, medication or gambling should be treated as individuals who are struggling and need help.
Former England and Arsenal football captain Tony Adams, a recovered alcoholic and chairman of trustees at the Forward Trust, has recorded a video to launch a series of films where he highlights the conversation with his mother-in-law that started his journey to seeking help.
He urges: “If you are struggling with an addiction or a mental health issue, then please reach out and get the appropriate help. The greatest thing I ever did was to say, ‘I can’t do this’.”
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