Salvation Army sees reduction in drug overdose deaths

published on 3 Sep 2021

The Salvation Army has just released new figures which show how taking a harm reduction approach to treating drug problems is helping to save lives.  

This dramatic reduction in overdose related deaths in Salvation Army services is largely due to embedding addiction support within The Salvation Army’s 80+ Lifehouses (hostels).  Around 80% of residents arrive with drug and alcohol addiction issues.[2]  Many of the people in our Lifehouses have been unable to access addiction support services before they step into our care.

Our addiction support team ensure our Lifehouse staff are able to swiftly administer naloxone, which reverses the effects of a drug overdose. Saving lives with naloxone has risen fivefold in the last three years – in 2020 more than 144 kits[3] were used.

However, The Salvation Army’s harm reduction approach is much more than just preventing a death at the point of crisis. The Church and Charity tackles addiction by offering non-judgemental support to people to help them address the reasons they are living with addiction.  

Moreover, 80% of people who move on from The Salvation Army addiction services, are no longer using the drugs which brought them there to begin with[4].

Lee Ball, Territorial Addiction Services Officer for The Salvation Army, said: 

“Viewing addiction through a judgemental lens causes harm but understanding addiction as a response to trauma offers a chance to heal.

“Harm reduction is about acceptance and unconditional support for people in the throes of addiction, as well as clinical interventions such as naloxone use”.  

Prevention is key to ensuring the children in our services today, don't become the adults in our services tomorrow.
Lee Ball, Territorial Addiction Services Officer

The Salvation Army has worked with over 25,000 people with addiction issues in the last three years – 75%[5] of whom were not receiving help from any other agency at the time they engaged with the Church and Charity’s services.

Lee adds: “I’ll never forget the first day of my job within a Salvation Army Lifehouse, booking someone in for treatment, and 20 years later, on my last day of work at that Lifehouse, I booked in that person’s child.

“Without comprehensive investment, particularly for young people, as outlined in Dame Carol Black’s review, we will continue to see the cyclical nature of addiction that often runs within families and communities.

“Prevention is key to ensuring the children in our services today, don’t become the adults in our services tomorrow. 

Until we invest fully in addressing the root causes of addiction, not only within the individual but through investment in our services, we will only ever be managing the symptoms.” 

Salvation army officer and client talking

Support our work

Help us to continue to be there for people in their hour of need.

donate

Data sources:

[1] Salvation Army Impact Report 2018-21

[2] Salvation Army CDM (Client Data Management) system, ATLAS: April 2020 – March 31-2021

[3] Salvation Army CDM (Client Data Management) system, ATLAS: April 2020 – March 31-2021

[4] Salvation Army CDM (Client Data Management) system, ATLAS: April 2020 – March 31-2021

[5] Seeds of Exclusion, 2009