Police commit to national roll-out of life-saving drug overdose treatment

Police Scotland has committed to a national roll-out of drug overdose emergency treatment in response to recommendations made by researchers at Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) and Edinburgh Napier University (ENU).

Chief Constable Iain Livingstone announced today (17 February) that all operational officers in Police Scotland will be trained and equipped with the life-saving nasal spray naloxone, which can be given safely to people who have suffered a drug overdose.

An in-depth study carried out by researchers at GCU and ENU recommended that police officers across Scotland should carry naloxone following an independent evaluation of a pilot scheme carried out last year.

The researchers also called for naloxone training to be made compulsory for all Police Scotland officers and staff. 

Dr Andrew McAuley, a Senior Research Fellow in GCU’s Research Centre for Health (ReaCH) sexual health and blood borne viruses group, was an advisor on all aspects of the study, including methods, analysis and interpretation of the results which are published here.

Dr McAuley believes naloxone is an important tool in tackling Scotland’s drug-related deaths crisis, by providing immediate first aid while waiting for the ambulance service to arrive and take over emergency medical treatment.

In response to the increasing drugs death toll, and the recommendation of the country’s Drug Deaths Taskforce, Police Scotland began a pilot project to test the carriage and administration of the treatment by officers.

The trial was initially launched in Falkirk, Dundee and Glasgow East before being extended to include Caithness and Glasgow custody and Stirling community police officers.

Naloxone packs were used 51 times in the course of the pilot from March to October and by the end 808 officers had been trained in their use, representing 87% of the workforce in the pilot areas.

Dr McAuley said: “This hugely important study highlights the vital role that police officers can have in supporting efforts to address Scotland’s drug death crisis.

“Our research has shown that the vast majority of officers were willing to take a naloxone kit following training and around one in 10 kits supplied during the pilot were used at an overdose event in the first six months.

“The response to the pilot was very positive overall across almost all stakeholders and generated important new knowledge which will be used to improve naloxone policy and practice in Police Scotland moving forwards.

“I have researched naloxone for over 15 years and this was one of the most interesting studies I have ever been part of. The commitment and candidness of the participants, whether it be police officers, family members or people with lived experience of drug use, really enhanced the study and the impact of its findings”.

The study assessed the attitudes and experiences of police officers, the effectiveness of their naloxone training and responses from people who use drugs and support services.

A total of 346 police officers completed questionnaires, with 41 taking part in interviews or focus groups, and further interviews were carried out with people who use drugs, family members, support workers and key stakeholders.

A majority of officers who participated in an interview or focus group were supportive of the pilot and its roll out across Scotland. Thirteen interviewees had personally administered naloxone, some on several occasions, and officers reported very positive experiences of naloxone being used effectively to save people’s lives.