Why did addictions increase during the pandemic?
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(CNN) -
Addiction can "happen to any of us," warned Kate, Duchess of Cambridge, during the launch of an awareness campaign in London on Tuesday.
The Duchess delivered a speech at the launch of the Forward Trust, a British charity of which she is the patron, "Taking Action on Addiction" campaign on the reality of addiction as a "serious mental health condition".
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"Addiction is not a choice. Nobody chooses to become addicted," he said.
"But it can happen to any of us. None of us are immune."
Kate, wife of Prince William, stressed that despite the pervasiveness of addiction, it is "rarely talked about" as a serious mental health condition in society.
The duchess added that it is crucial to recognize "what is behind addiction" in order "to help eliminate the taboo and shame that sadly surrounds it."
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The Duchess was joined by popular British television hosts Ant McPartlin and Declan Donnelly at the launch of the campaign, which strives to "rethink existing perceptions of addiction and raise awareness of the causes and nature of addiction."
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She highlighted the havoc the pandemic has caused on families and children affected by addiction problems.
"We know that more than 1.5 million people across the UK who had no substance abuse problems prior to lockdown may now be experiencing problems associated with increased alcohol use," he said.
The Duchess also pointed to the alarming increase of one million young people exhibiting addictive behaviors since the pandemic began.
About two million people who would have been classified as "in recovery" may have relapsed in the past 18 months, he said.
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Despite the stark figures, he paid tribute to organizations like the Forward Trust, which he said help people turn their lives around.
The campaign "will show us that not only do many people recover from addiction, but they can also prosper," he stressed.
On Sunday, Kate and William attended the inaugural winners ceremony for the Earthshot Prize, an award similar to the Nobel Prize for the environment founded by the Duke and celebrated British naturalist David Attenborough to inspire innovative solutions to the world's most pressing environmental challenges. planet.
Addictions Duchess of Cambridge