The Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs(ACMD) has published a self-commissioned review of the evidence on the provision and availability of naloxone in the UK. Naloxone is a medicine that can temporarily reverse the effects of opioids and is used as an emergency treatment for people suspected to be experiencing an opioid overdose. The review looks at the provision and availability of naloxone and has made a number of recommendations to optimise the use of naloxone to reduce drug-related harms.
BDP supply the majority of naloxone in the Bristol area and because of this we were asked to contribute to the report. We submitted information on the prevalence and provision of naloxone, how many people were carrying it, how many people are using it and a series of recommendations from our own experiences that would improve naloxone provision in the UK. This information was comprised of statistics from our records, along with input, opinions and case studies from BDP service users, people who have received naloxone training from BDP and our staff.
We welcome the recommendations put forward by the ACMD after gathering this wealth of evidence which include:
Improving the quality of the data of take-home naloxone across the UK
Using evidence to increase naloxone carriage
Greater provision to those leaving prison
Increase carriage within emergency service staff
Allowing all community pharmacies to provide naloxone as some are currently unable to do so
This festival season is set to be our busiest yet and we can’t wait!
After the dreaded c-word cancelled all events in 2020 and the 2021 season got off to a late start, this year we finally get to enjoy a full programme of events – let’s dance likes its 2019!
Whether you’re a seasoned veteran of the festival circuit or a fresh-faced newbie, we’ll be around to support you and your mates to stay safe if you choose to use alcohol or other drugs. Stop by if you’ve got any questions about drugs, to test your knowledge or take a minute to chill out if you are feeling worse for wear. Of course, we’ll be providing all our usual freebies including condoms, lube, lollies, clean snorting equipment and stickers!
Below is a list of events where you’ll be able to find us over the next few months. Grab your tickets now before they sell out!:
We are delighted to announce that the first regular city-centre drug checking service licensed by the Home Office is coming to Bristol. The service is funded by Bristol City Council and will operate as a multi-agency partnership between The Loop, Peoples Republic of Stokes Croft (PRSC) and ourselves here at Bristol Drugs Project (BDP). The Loop is a charity that has been offering drug checking and harm reduction services since 2013, aiming to reduce high–risk drug taking. PRSC is a community enterprise promoting our local independent arts community and the project will make use of their space.
What is drug checking?
Drug checking is where a substance is tested to find out what it contains and the strength of its contents. Unregulated drug markets mean that people buying drugs have no guarantee about what they are purchasing. Drug checking uses laboratory techniques to analyse the content and strength of pills and powders. The results of the lab analysis are given alongside a harm reduction and healthcare consultation, putting people in a better position to make an informed choice and to understand the relative risks of taking the substances they have purchased.
Why is it needed?
Evidence from The Loop shows that drug checking is an effective way of reducing harm. Nearly two-thirds of people who got a substance tested disposed of it when it was shown to contain something other than what they had bought or been given. They also found that half of the people who found that their tested substance was what they expected chose to take a lower dose after receiving the harm reduction intervention.
How do I get a substance tested?
You will need to bring your substance of concern to BDP where you will be asked to leave it in an amnesty box. The sample will then be tested in The Loop’s on-site pop-up lab. While you wait for your results, you can enjoy the multitude of independent cafes and arts venues on and around Stokes Croft. An hour later, you will receive a healthcare consultation and test results from workers located at the People’s Republic of Stokes Croft. The service is confidential, you are linked to your substance by a code and only you can receive your results.
The first event is pencilled in for the 28th of May. As soon as it’s confirmed we will put more details of how to use the service on our website.
We look forward to working together on this project.
It’s exciting times for people who choose not to drink alcohol. Alcohol-Free drinks are booming, and choosing to be alcohol-free is becoming more popular and widely understood.
However, one area still lacking is opportunities for nights out to see music and socialise without the occasion being centred around alcohol. Choosing not to drink can be alienating. Having an event or location where you can socialise with others who have also decided not to drink can alleviate the social pressures associated with being alcohol-free. Enter Bristol Sober Spaces, a collaborative project that aims to provide events, community and music for the alcohol-free population of Bristol. We chatted to Chris De Banks of Not Saints and one of the key members of the project to find out more:
So, what exactly is Bristol Sober Spaces?
Bristol Sober Spaces is a collaborative project between BDP, Not Saints, and the broader Bristol recovery and sober communities to show that great times can be had without alcohol and drugs. For those that love live music and the thrill of seeing a great gig, we hope that these shows will be the bridge between finding sobriety and having a good old-fashioned night out without the triggers and barriers that people in recovery can face. We also want to provide gigs for people who don’t drink for cultural or religious reasons or for people who just want to sample a sober night. Funded by the National Lottery as part of the Not Saints’ ‘Recovery Communities Live project’ we truly believe that recovery and sobriety in the UK are one community that should come together regularly and celebrate all that we have to offer.
How did this all come about?
It all started in the pandemic, believe it or not. When most people were lamenting the loss of live music, myself and the team at Not Saints took a good hard look at what we do and what we could take out to communities around the country. It was obvious from our conversations via a well-known video conferencing platform that people’s love of music and the unity that a great show can bring should be part of this new project. We put together a project proposal, and I trundled off to the National Lottery cap in hand. And success! They awarded us a funding grant to work with 7 locations around the UK to develop a regular performance-based night out in each city or region. For some, it’s Sober Mic nights, others a celebration of recovery with more structured programs, but Bristol is at the forefront of the project so far with the Bristol Beacon on board and some truly killer bands lined up.
So, your first event is in the books?
It certainly looks like it. The Bristol Beacon is such a fantastic venue and we are genuinely thrilled to have their support for the first event on the 5th of May. We’ve also got such an exciting secret headliner and that’s going to be such an amazing reveal. I think everyone is going to be blown away!
Where do I get tickets?
Glad you asked! The event is at Bristol Beacon on the 5th of May and kicks off at 7:30pm. Tickets are being sold on a pay-what-you-can basis with a suggested donation of £5 and are being sold via Headfirst here: hdfst.uk/E73304
What more is to come for Bristol Sober Spaces?
At the moment, we’re really focused on the launch event on the 5th of May, but we are already fleshing out plans for more shows in the summer and autumn as our goal is to try and put something on quarterly. We’ve also been talking about some smaller social events and sober mic nights, so watch this space!
How can I get involved?
We’d love for more people to jump on board; it’s such an exciting project with so much scope for creativity and connection. You don’t have to have any events experience or musicality, just a willingness to get stuck in and have a go. If anyone wants to get involved, then they can contact Chris at Not Saints via email at chris@notsaints.co.uk or Sophie Wilsdon at BDP on sophie.wilsdon@bdp.org.uk or 0117 987 6000.
Thanks for your time Chris and we hope that has got you excited for the first event! Grab your tickets here: hdfst.uk/E73304
Our blood-borne viruses nurse Jess Oke has been shortlisted for the innovation award at the British Journal of Nursing Awards 2022. We are incredibly proud and excited for Jess, who rightly deserves the recognition she has received for her ongoing work to test and treat every person involved in our services for Hep C and other blood-borne viruses.
The British Journal of Nursing is a publication for nurses that provides a comprehensive resource that brings together nursing practice, education and leadership. Every year BJN celebrate nurses in the field through their awards ceremony. Their awards range the breadth of nursing practice with awards for nurses in specific areas of nursing along with awards such as nurse of the year and lifetime achievement awards. Jess has been shortlisted for the Innovation which is awarded for nurses who are improving patient care, developing innovative services and creating new roles in health care.
We have everything crossed for Jess as we approach the date of the awards later this week but win or lose, her contribution to BDP and the people we support is massively celebrated by all of us here and we are incredibly grateful for her continued efforts.
Today marks 36 years of BDP. That’s 36 years of supporting some of the most vulnerable members of our society. 36 years of pursuing evidence-based treatment methods. 36 years of challenging stigma where we see it. And 36 years of being available for YOU if you decide you want to make changes around your drug and/or alcohol use.
BDP was started by a group of impassioned probation officers and people with lived experience who saw a lack of provision for people who use drugs in Bristol and stepped up to fill that need. Since then, BDP has grown and evolved but we still operate by the same philosophy as those early days; to support some of the most vulnerable members of our society in an open and inclusive service and to challenge the prejudice which people with drug or alcohol problems still experience. This remains a major barrier to people seeking the support they need.
So on this day of celebration, we want to bring you inside our services. To do this, we’ve asked two staff members to give you an insight into their role and what they get up to on a day to day basis. Of course, every member of staff has a unique story, and every team has a whole raft of responsibilities beyond the scope of this article, but if you enjoy this insight and would like to read more, please do let us know.
First up is Liana, who is part of our Shared Care team. Shared Care workers work out of GP surgeries to assist GPs by providing expert drug and alcohol treatment knowledge, handling prescriptions and other routes into drug and alcohol treatment.
“I have been a Shared Care Worker at BDP for what seems like forever, but of course, this is not actually the case. I have held several different positions across BDP and feel like I’ve found my home in Shared Care. What I like the most about Shared Care is that we get to work with service users for as long as they need support. I have the time to build solid relationships with my clients and support them to achieve real change.
“A day in my life as a Shared Care Worker is busy; that is the most honest answer. You never know what the day will bring and you certainly don’t have time to look at the clock. The bustle is what makes my role interesting and varied, however. I love the variety of working in and out of the office and in GP surgeries, as it makes me feel like I am part of four different teams.
“What makes my role, though is building relationships with the service users on my caseload. Some will complete and exit treatment quickly, some may be returning, and others may take much longer. This is just the complex nature of the problems these individuals are facing. As a worker, we cannot force an individual to make changes they do not want to make but the ability to build trust and rapport with our clients gives us the best opportunity to enable them to make the changes that are right for them at that point in time. Sometimes I feel I know them as well as my family and friends; I have met their children, their partners, their mums and sometimes even their grannies.”
Next is Becky, who recently returned to BDP to join our Early Engagement and Intervention (EEI) team after previously volunteering with us.
“It may be a cliche, but every day is never the same in the EEI team. The BDP building is bustling, and this, along with our outreach programme, means the working week is incredibly varied. Whether it is offering someone a cup of tea and a chat or issuing the lifesaving overdose reversal drug naloxone, there is always something different happening.
“This variety is what I enjoy the most about my role. From being downstairs in our drop-in space, known as the advice centre, to taking the service out via in-reach to hostels or via street outreach; BDP are continuously trying to get harm reduction out there. By doing so, we can provide support to those who may struggle to access it without, such as via our nursing service, which can be invaluable to individuals who find it difficult to get a GP appointment, let alone physically get to their surgery.
“We are so lucky to have a mix of volunteers and staff from all different backgrounds, something as an inclusive service BDP prides itself on. Having started as a volunteer, I know just how much you are able (and encouraged) to get involved in. This is not only important for those who walk through the door but for the growth and development of the organisation as a whole. I feel that I am able to continuously learn within the role and expand my knowledge, with new ideas welcomed and cheered on.”
