What is Naloxone?

Naloxone is a medicine that can reverse the effects of opioid drugs such as heroin or methadone. It is a first aid intervention that temporarily stops the effects of opioid drugs and can legally be administered by anyone. It presents no threat to the person administering.

This means that when a person has overdosed when taking an opioid, Naloxone could be used to re-establish normal breathing within minutes of receiving a treatment. It can be administered either through the nose via a nasal spray (a preferred option due to ease of administration), or it can be injected into somebody’s veins or muscles.

Naloxone has been used in other countries, such as in Northern Ireland where the ambulance service has been trained to administer the drug since 2017. Scotland was the first country in the world to introduce a National Naloxone programme, which the Scottish Government funded from 2011 to 2016.

£1 million was allocated for the national initiative.

This programme marked a significant shift in addressing problem drug use from a criminal justice approach to a public health one. It highlighted Scotland’s desire to tackle its unique relationship with drugs with a direct and compassionate response.

Following this, many Scottish councils have begun introducing Naloxone into their policies. Aberdeen City Council and Stirling Council have trained many of their staff to administer Naloxone. Glasgow’s homeless units are now issued with the medication; and the ‘Take Home Naloxone Project’ in Dundee has been applauded for its effort to reduce harm associated with problem drug use.