NHS Ayrshire & Arran’s Public Health Department continues to work with partner agencies to respond to recent concerns around an increase in the number of people who use street drugs experiencing near fatal overdoses.
Synthetic opioids, called nitazines, have been found in various street drugs, including heroin in Scotland. These have caused serious overdoses, hospitalisation and, in some cases, have been linked to drug-related deaths.
In addition to heroin, these highly potent opioids have also been detected in the wider drug market, including benzodiazepines and counterfeit opioid painkillers, such as oxycodone.
Lynne McNiven, Director of Public Health, explains: “Some of the recent overdoses have been characterised by sudden and rapid collapse, with many people requiring multiple doses of naloxone to reverse. Rapid testing has identified a nitazene-type opioid in some heroin samples associated with these overdose clusters, with further testing underway to determine the specific type.”
Naloxone is a life-saving medicine that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid/drug overdose. We encourage people who inject drugs to carry naloxone at all times. Naloxone should be given to anyone who is unresponsive and displaying the signs of an overdose (snoring, difficulty breathing, pin-point pupils, blue lips). Get naloxone from your local drug service or order online from www.sfad.org.uk
Knowing how to recognise and respond to an overdose can save lives.
Here are the signs of concern for a drug overdose:
- Unresponsive (will not wake when shaken
- Snoring or noisy breathing
- Blue or pale lips and skin
- Seizures or fits
If you notice these difficulties call 999 straight away.
- Stay calm and ask for an ambulance.
- Give as much information as possible.
- Be as honest as possible about what has been taken as this will help the emergency services to give the best care.
- The priority of emergency services is to save lives.
NHS Ayrshire & Arran is working with partners in the Alcohol and Drug Partnerships, Health and Social Care Partnership (HSCP) Drug Treatment Teams, Ayrshire Division of Police Scotland, Scottish Ambulance Service, the Emergency Departments (ED) of University Hospitals Ayr and Crosshouse, as well as with peer recovery communities, to try to prevent further overdoses.
Lynne McNiven adds: “We are working with our partners to prevent future near fatal overdoses and deaths, and also to remove the stigma of drug use.
“We need to remember that every drug death is a preventable tragedy. It affects not only the friends and family of the person who has died, but the wider community.
“We would encourage anyone who has taken any street drug and who has become acutely unwell to call or have someone call 999 straight away. Our emergency services are there to save lives.
“Help and advice is also available from family doctors (GPs) or local Drug Treatment Services across Ayrshire.
“We would encourage any member of the public who is experiencing problematic drug use or addiction issues to make contact with our Addiction Services teams in East, North and South Ayrshire.”
Anyone affected or concerned about drug use can find a range of support on our public website: https://www.nhsaaa.net/services/services-a-z/alcohol-and-drug-services/