Drug, alcohol and mental health charity, With You, recently provided training to the Avon and Somerset Police in the life saving opiate overdose reversal drug, naloxone. The training was run by Abigail Wilson, Lead Clinical Pharmacist for With You in the South West, to ensure Avon and Somerset Police can support their drug testing teams should they, or someone they encounter, be exposed to opiates.
2022 ONS statistics reveal that approximately half of all drug poisoning deaths registered in 2021 in England and Wales involved an opioid (45.7%). Naloxone can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose until a person gets to hospital. It has been used for many years in emergency medical settings, and in recent years it has become more widely available in community services. Naloxone is available in the community in either injectable or nasal spray form for ease of use.
A number of police officers in Somerset are already trained in how to use naloxone effectively, and have used it to treat opioid overdoses in the community. With You’s additional training will bolster local knowledge and enable more naloxone to be readily available to those who need it.
“We've enlisted the help of With You to equip our teams of drug testers with added protection for themselves, as through drug testing there is always the risk of overexposure to opiates. Access to naloxone will allow our officers to feel safer being trained in its use.
“The training will also allow our police officers to carry naloxone so they can better support people who have suffered an overdose. Opiate overdoses are increasing in commonality in our local community, and this life-saving training will help us to minimise the harm of an opiate overdose.”
Abigail Wilson, Lead Clinical Pharmacist for With You who delivered the training said:
“The police carrying naloxone will help to keep the teams and local communities safe, and reduce drug related deaths in the region. It allows the police to have the ability to respond to and treat overdose in those vital minutes before an ambulance crew can arrive. For people exposed to opioids who overdose, naloxone can be the difference between life and death, and is cheap and easy to use.
“Evidence shows that people who have overdosed before are more likely to die from an overdose. Therefore, in communities where there are high numbers of people who have overdosed or are at risk of an overdose, training and getting more naloxone out onto the streets is vital.”
A Police Officer at Avon and Somerset Police receiving the training said:
“The training session further taught us to recognise the signs and symptoms of a drug overdose, as well as equipping us with the skills we need to assist that person. Using naloxone will help drug users recover from the many adverse effects of an opiate overdose. This training gives us more confidence to help people who need us, and we’d like to thank With You for their support.”