Liam Payne Fans Push For 'Liam’s Law' To Safeguard Mental Health Of Artists

Liam Payne fans are coming together following his tragic passing after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on Wednesday, October 16.

The 31-year-old star was said to be behaving erratically, with hotel staff claiming he appeared to be under the influence of “drugs and alcohol” and was discovered “trashing his room.” An initial toxicology report revealed the presence of cocaine in his system. Furthermore, several prescription medications and drug paraphernalia were found in the hotel suite where he was staying.

In honor of the singer, a Change.org petition titled “Enact Legislation to Safeguard Artists’ Mental Health in the Entertainment Industry” has garnered nearly 75,000 signatures.

Fans have created a petition advocating for a proposed legislation called "Liam's Law." It seeks to establish regular mental health check-ups, ensure adequate rest periods, and require the presence of medical professionals on set to promote the mental well-being of artists.

“We implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry,” it reads.

In 2021, Liam Payne said he wanted a support system for young artists navigating the industry, revealing his own struggles and emphasized the necessity of having care in place to protect artists' mental health.

"Ultimately, I am angry and saddened that the industry has let him down. I needed to channel my emotions into something productive, and this is where I am," the creator of the petition said. "He wanted this, and I promised him in my heart that I would do it. This is for him, for the boys. This is just the beginning; we will fight for their justice, and we will never give up."

The petition creator went on to talk about how the entertainment industry, "acclaimed for its glamour and stardom," is also "infamous for the enormous pressure it exerts on the mental health of artists," including stress, anxiety, depression, substance misuse and even suicide.

"In recent news of Liam Payne's tragic death as many others, the entertainment industry needs to be held accountable and be responsible to the welfare of their artists," they continued. "We seek to implore lawmakers to create legislation safeguarding the mental health of artists within the industry."

Guy Chambers, who co-wrote hits like “Angels” for Robbie Williams, has also advocated for this, previously claiming that teenagers should not be placed in boy bands until they reach 18.

Liam Payne's tragic death comes months after MAX released the bombshell docuseries, "Quiet On Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV," which captured widespread attention as several former child actors, including Drake Bell, contributed their stories to expose their experiences working under the direction of Dan Schneider and other producers at Nickelodeon.

Schneider, recognized for his work on shows such as "The Amanda Show" and "Zoey 101," has faced numerous allegations and controversies related to his behavior on set. These include accusations of inappropriate conduct toward underage actors, fostering a toxic workplace environment, and instances of racism and sexism.

After the docuseries, many, including Ariana Grande, have come forward, saying that Hollywood needs to protect child actors. "I think that the environment needs to be made safer if kids are going to be acting," Ari said. "I think there should be therapists. I think [parents should be] allowed to be wherever they want to be."

"And I think, not only on kids sets, I think if anyone wants to do this or music or anything at the level of exposure that it means to be on TV or to do music with a major label or whatever, there should be in the contract something about 'Therapy is mandatory twice a week.'" she added.

"A lot of people don't have the support that they need to get through performing at that level at such a young age, but also dealing with some of the things that the survivors who have come forward, there's not a word for how devastating that is to hear about," she continued. "So I think the environment just needs to be made a lot safer."

Payne's preliminary autopsy indicated that he had "pink cocaine" in his system at the time of his death on October 16, after falling from a third-floor hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Despite its name, "pink cocaine" usually does not contain real cocaine; instead, it is a mixture of ketamine, MDMA, and methamphetamine.

For more information on "Liam's Law," and to sign the petition, visit change.org.