A leading drugs charity is urging the government to speed up the rollout of a “life-saving” overdose medication.
The social care organisation Turning Point says access to naloxone must be expanded by allowing all public service workers to carry it to reduce drug-related deaths.
The drug can be administered via nasal spray or syringe to someone who has overdosed on opioids, including heroin, and restores normal breathing.
It is routinely carried by police officers in Scotland, but only trialled by forces in England.
It is more widely available through drug abuse hubs and health services.
A consultation of widening access to naloxone concluded in September 2021 and the Department of Health and Social Care is still considering its findings.
In Somerset, Trevor Watts has been clean of drugs for 10 years and now works as a peer mentor for Turning Point.
He has used naloxone himself, and the charity’s hub in Taunton hands out the medication to those who may need it.
He said: “It saved my life before and I know a lot of people who’ve died in the past from opioid overdose when it hasn’t been available.
“The more of it that gets to the hands of the public – or the right people, the easier it’s going to be, the more lives it’s going to save.”
Turning Point medical director, Dr David Bremner, told Sky News the drug has the ability to save lives:
He said: “Every opiate death is a preventable death.
“These are people who have died from a toxic amount of a substance that we can reverse.
“What we need to do is flood the market to get greater rates of carriage and use of naloxone… to ensure police, ambulance staff are carrying naloxone so that if they encounter an overdose they are able to reverse that.
“We’ve had great success with people carrying it in the community, the police, the ambulance services – but there are far more people that could be carrying naloxone and places that it could be stored.
“Ultimately, I want everyone who is prescribed an opiate to also be given naloxone to take home with them.”
Controversy over drug
The consultation found more than 90% agreed that prison officers, paramedics and others should be able to issue the medication without prescription.
But expanding who carries naloxone is controversial – with some bodies questioning whether such medication should be left to paramedics to administer.
Officers at Durham Constabulary have been able to carry naloxone for two years.
Chief Inspector Jason Meecham told Sky News there is no doubt it saves lives.
He said: “It is unfamiliar territory for a lot of police forces, and that’s totally understandable.
“It gives opportunities to officers who are first at the scene of a potential death to prevent that death from happening.
“It’s a simple, safe, effective method of saving life.
“It’s not a replacement for ambulance services, it’s not a replacement for professional medical attention, it’s something to hold onto while we’re waiting for those professionals to arrive at the scene.”
The government says it will publish a full response to the consultation later this year.
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “Naloxone is already widely available from drug services without prescription, including many community pharmacies.
“Every year thousands of takeaway naloxone medication kits are provided to people at risk, their families and friends, and staff working with them in hostels and other locations.
“As part of our 10-year drugs strategy, this year we provided local authorities with an additional £2.2m for making naloxone more available, including through peer networks and the police, helping to save lives from drug overdose.”
