Avon & Somerset Police trained to use life saving drug naloxone

In a new collaborative project, we have trained up nearly 200 police officers from Avon & Somerset Police to carry and use naloxone. 

Naloxone is a medication that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose allowing time for the person to receive emergency medical care. 

Given the police’s presence on the streets of the city and that they are likely to be first at the scene to an opioid overdose, it makes them the ideal candidates to carry naloxone. We train and equip professionals in any job that may come into close contact with someone who is experiencing an overdose including hostel staff, social workers and homeless outreach. Adding police to this list is an effective way to improve the already expansive naloxone coverage across the city.  

Avon & Somerset Police’s Neighbourhood Inspector, Tom Gent said,

“We are committed to working with our partners to reduce the harm caused by drugs in our communities, we’re asking our frontline staff to volunteer to carry Nyxoid, which is being provided free by Bristol Drugs Project.  By volunteering to carry Nyxoid, frontline police officers and PCSOs will be able to help save a life should they come across someone who needs immediate help, due to an opioid overdose.” 

We also train and equip anyone who uses opioids or knows someone who does. If you would like to be trained, please contact us or drop into our advice centre. Contact details and address can be found here.

BDP Service Manager, Lydia Plant said,

“We are blown away by the number of officers we have trained and the opportunity to save lives this presents. This is an incredibly exciting collaboration, and we celebrate Avon & Somerset Police’s positive approach to reducing the harms faced by people who use drugs in Bristol.” 

This project is timely following a spate of overdoses and 6 deaths in the last couple of weeks due to a dangerous batch of heroin circulating in the city. You can find out more about this dangerous batch and how you can keep yourself safe here. 

Are you a professional and think you or your organisation should be carrying naloxone? Find out how to book onto a training session here.