Personnel Implications

The Scottish Police Federation and UNISON were represented on the Naloxone delivery steering group and have been fully engaged throughout the Test of Change and National Roll Out. People and Development have also been consulted regarding during both processes.

The national rollout will include approximately 12,500 officers, with all Police Scotland operational officers, up to and including the rank of Inspector, being issued with a supply of naloxone and carriage pouch.

Police carriage of Naloxone is relevant to the role of front line officers and also the welfare of those officers.

The findings of the evaluation report indicated that the majority of police officers who participated in the research held a positive view of the carriage and administration of naloxone by Police. The high uptake of naloxone kits by officers who attended the training (81%) presents a general indication of the acceptability of the intervention. The findings of the evaluation report indicate that the naloxone training was effective in developing police officers’ knowledge and attitudes about drug overdose and naloxone administration. It was also effective in increasing the acceptability of naloxone administration as part of a police officer’s role.

A police officer’s general duty is to protect life, from the evaluation findings, Naloxone was seen by officers as an opportunity for proactivity around this duty. For many officers this duty to save a life overcame any other reservations or concerns.

Naloxone can also potentially reduce demand on officers; in the short-term through negating the need for subsequent procedures should a death occur and in the long-term, increase opportunity for engagement between drug users and treatment services. Naloxone provides an opportunity to link people who have recently overdosed into support services. 

Furthermore, the national project offers real opportunity to positively influence officer attitude to drug use and people who have a drug dependency, thereby reducing associated stigma and increasing positive community engagement.

Via the evaluation and personal testimony from police officers, there is evidence that provides that in the vast majority of cases the training delivery increased officer understanding and awareness of the benefits of naloxone and drug overdose incidents, whilst positively influencing their attitudes towards persons who have a drug dependency. Several community participants have shared positive accounts of police officers who were proactive and compassionate in their support of people who use drugs.  

Throughout the Test of Change numerous individual officers from around the country contacted Naloxone coordination volunteering to carry naloxone. Some of the reasons cited included a spike in drug related hospitalisations and / or deaths in their area of work, a willingness to support the harm prevention efforts of health services and to encourage better engagement between the police and the drug community. The requesting officer’s regular engagement with drug users and personal experience of dealing with overdose incidents figured prominently in the requests.

Since the decision to equip all front line officers with naloxone officers have continued to contact Naloxone coordination with enquiries, volunteering to carry naloxone at the earliest opportunity and commending the decision to equip officers nationally.

There has also been officers who had initially chosen not to carry naloxone after receiving the training input during the test of change, but altered this decision, contacting Naloxone coordination to arrange to be issued with a pouch and kit. Reasons provided for this change included discussion with colleagues, attending overdose incidents and personally witnessing the positive effects of naloxone.