Stock drug overdose antidote in public places to save lives

Lifesaving overdose antidote naloxone must be as easy to access in public places as first aid kits, according to The Salvation Army, which warns that opioid drugs could kill over 20,000 people in the next five years*.

The church and charity will tomorrow (18 June) take its campaign to Parliament to urge MPs to make naloxone available in pubs and bars, clubs, festivals, train and bus stations, and even shopping centres. 

Naloxone, which can be given as either a nasal spray or injection, is quick, safe and easy to use. It temporarily reverses an opioid drug overdose, including heroin and prescription painkillers, as well as newer more dangerous synthetic drugs such as fentanyl. This gives enough time for emergency services to arrive on the scene. It also won’t cause any harm if the person’s overdose isn’t due to opioid drugs, but it could save their life if it is.

The UK already has one of the highest drug death rates in Europe, with 18 people in the UK dying every day, 89 per cent more than just a decade ago. Deaths involving opioids make up the biggest proportion of drug fatalities**.

The Salvation Army’s Director of Addictions, Lee Ball, said: “The risk of drug overdose has never been so great. Every death from drugs is a tragedy that can and should be prevented.

“Now, with the newer synthetic opioids like fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin, and various nitazenes, which can be hundreds of times more lethal, the danger has significantly increased. These substances, sometimes mixed into other drugs without people’s knowledge, are fuelling a serious and fast-growing problem in the UK.

“Making naloxone available in public places alongside first aid kits should be seen as no different to stocking defibrillators for cardiac arrest or using EpiPens for life-threatening allergies. We would greatly welcome a government-led consultation with public and private sector organisations on how to make this a reality.”

Liz Brown, aged 61 from Plymouth, saved a man’s life last Christmas Eve by giving him naloxone. She started carrying it after losing her eldest son to a drug overdose. Liz, a mother of four, also lost another son to the long-term effects of drugs. She said: “I was on my way to The Salvation Army, where I volunteer at a homeless drop-in service, when I found a man slumped on the floor. As I got closer, I could see he’d taken something, so I gave him some naloxone. As soon as I saw him, I just knew I had to do something. I stayed with him till the ambulance got there. I was in shock afterwards, to be honest, but the naloxone was actually easy to use.

“People with addiction are suffering and need proper help – that’s how they should be treated. Having a go at them or trying to make them feel ashamed doesn’t change anything. I used to feel embarrassed about my sons’ taking drugs, but not anymore because that won’t help people or stop them dying. What does help is making sure they get the support they need. And that’s why I’m now speaking out about what I’ve experienced.”

To expand access to naloxone, The Salvation Army is also calling for:

• A national, government-commissioned public awareness campaign about naloxone.
• 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 continued: “The Salvation Army has a 160-year history of helping people who have an addiction. We know from our work that drugs are often used to escape the reality of unbearable pain and trauma.

“A harmful addiction is not a lifestyle choice or a moral flaw, it’s a life-threatening chronic health condition and should be treated as such. If any other health issue saw deaths nearly double within just a decade, it would have long been declared a public health emergency.”

Declan Hanratty, aged 49 from Swindon, has known people who overdosed from opioid drugs and nearly lost his own life to heroin. After being supported by The Salvation Army, he hasn’t used drugs for four years and now volunteers to help others with addiction. Declan, said: “When I was taking heroin and sleeping rough, I woke up one morning and the girl next to me was dead. I overdosed myself once. It was a horrible experience. I was found behind the wheel of my car and kept in hospital for five days. 

“People who haven’t experienced it have the impression that addiction is fun, but the reality is the opposite. Addiction is a physical, mental and spiritual sickness, and recovery takes time. So, to help people who end up overdosing, I think naloxone should be available everywhere.”

The Salvation Army’s recommendations on naloxone are made in its new report, ‘Naloxone: A Life-Saving Opportunity’.

*The Salvation Army used drug related death figures and linear forecast analysis to estimate how many people would die of drug poisoning involving opioids, should recent trends continue.

** The Salvation Army’s analysis of Government data.