Salvation Army takes naloxone campaign to Parliament

The Salvation Army took its campaign calling for greater awareness and access to naloxone, a lifesaving opioid overdose antidote, to Parliament this week (18 June 2025). 

The UK has among the highest rates of drug-related deaths in Europe, with around 18 people dying each day, which is nearly double the number seen a decade ago. Opioids are involved in more than half of these fatalities. The church and charity warns that that 20,000 lives could be lost to opioids in the UK over the next five years without urgent action.

At the event, attended by MPs and Parliamentary staff, The Salvation Army Addictions Team presented their new report: Naloxone, A Life-Saving Opportunity. They also led a practical demonstration which showed just how quick, simple and safe it is to use the medication in an emergency. 

Naloxone, available as a nasal spray or injection, can restore breathing in someone who has overdosed on opioids including heroin and prescription pain relief buying critical time until medical help arrives. It is also effective against the newer more dangerous synthetic opioid Fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than heroin, and various nitazenes which are hundreds of times more potent and are now circulating in the UK. 

In their new report, The Salvation Army is calling for:

• A national, government-commissioned public awareness campaign about naloxone.
• Naloxone to be available in public places such as pubs and bars, clubs, festivals, train and bus stations, and shopping centres.
• All frontline police officers to carry naloxone, as they are often first on the scene in medical emergencies.
• Take-home naloxone for anyone known to use opioids when leaving hospital or prison.
• All local authorities to have a naloxone policy, as their staff may engage with at-risk residents.

Lee Ball, Director of Addictions Services at The Salvation Army, who spoke at the event said: “We demonstrated how naloxone works and how easily it can be used to prevent a fatal opioid overdose. When someone’s breathing has stopped, every second counts, and this medication can be the difference between life and death.

“The arrival of potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl and nitazenes has made the situation even more dangerous. These substances are significantly stronger than traditional opioids and are being mixed into other types of drugs, often without the user’s knowledge. Without widespread access to naloxone, the number of deaths is likely to increase sharply.

“We also wanted to challenge the stigma around addiction. Many of the people we support are using drugs to cope with deep-rooted trauma and distress. Every death due to drugs is a preventable tragedy and every life is worth saving.

“Addiction is not a moral failing, it’s a chronic, life-threatening health condition that demands a public health response, not punishment. There needs to be a more compassionate, health-led approach to addressing the causes and consequences of addiction and Government policy needs to reflect that, with more focus on treatment, prevention and harm reduction and that includes greater availability of naloxone.”

The Salvation Army has a 160-year history of supporting people who have an addiction. The church and charity takes what is known as a harm reduction approach, which offers both compassion and practical support, prioritising people’s safety over changing their actions so they don’t miss out on opportunities to receive help.