Sunderland MP taught to use lifesaving overdose antidote by The Salvation Army

The church and charity is campaigning for naloxone to be made more publicly available including in places such as pubs and bars, clubs, festivals, train and bus stations, and even shopping centres. This comes amid a growing drug crisis in the UK, which has seen drug deaths increase by 125 per cent in the North East in just a decade.

Naloxone, which is available as a nasal spray or injection, is quick and easy to use. It can be legally administered by anyone in an emergency to temporarily reverse an overdose from opioid drugs including heroin or prescription pain medication until medical help arrives. However, a new survey by The Salvation Army has found that only 14 per cent of adults in the North East know what naloxone is.

Lewis Atkinson MP said: “Every drug-related death is a tragedy that could be prevented, and I’m grateful to The Salvation Army for their work in raising awareness and equipping people with the skills to save lives.

“Learning to use naloxone was simple — and it could mean the difference between life and death. In the North East, where we’ve seen the sharpest rise in drug deaths, we need to be proactive in expanding Naloxone's availability. I've submitted a Written Question to Secretary of State for Health and Social Care asking what progress has made on the rollout of Naloxone supply network coordinators.”

Lee Ball, Director of Addictions Services at The Salvation Army, said: “We welcome the support of Lewis Atkinson to raise public awareness of naloxone. Any death from a drug overdose is a heartbreaking, preventable tragedy. Each life lost to drugs was someone’s child, parent, brother, sister, or friend. The overdose antidote, naloxone, which is safe, effective and easy to use, is a powerful weapon in the battle against drug-related deaths.

“The Salvation Army has a 160-year history of supporting people who have an addiction. We know from our work that drugs are often used to escape the reality of unbearable pain and trauma. Making naloxone more widely and easily 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. By making it more widely and easily available more lives can be saved.”

To save lives from opioid drug overdose, The Salvation Army is 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.