Naloxone: My Campaign

For the last to years (and more) I have been campaigning to have our first responders in the City of Belfast to be equipped with Naloxone.

 I have specifically targeted my campaign at the Police who do not currently carry the drug; and I feel that I need to begin by saying that our Police are some of the best and brightest; targeting drug dealers, intervening into critical situations and going above and beyond the call of duty whilst serving an a difficult environment in Northern Ireland. Therefore as I mention the PSNI, it is primarily in the context of their policies rather than Officers from the organisation.

  So let me begin by giving some kind of context to my campaign. Back in October 2018 I met with the (then) Boston Police Commissioner Bill Evans, an incredible man who oozed Boston - from a Police family he joined as a young man and worked his way up the ranks to be appointed by the Mayor as the man in charge of Police in the City. Bill and I discussed many matters, from the ice cream truck used to promote community engagement to the role he played in response to the Boston Bombing; although there was one issue I was really keen to pick his mind on and that was the opioid epidemic across the United States and what they were doing about it.

  It was here I first learnt about the importance of Naloxone (or Narcan in this instance) in dealing with overdoses as a result of the likes of heroin and other 'opioids', what was apparent was that his Officers were administering this daily to individuals who were at imminent risk of death due to drug use. He described this antidote as part of the uniform, highlighting the importance of his Officers being equipped with it.

With Commissioner Evans on 4th October 2017

  Here in Belfast , most if not all figures show that the issue of drug addiction is increasing and there have been significant increases in the use of opioid based drugs in our City. Charities such as the Welcome Organisation, Extern and many others' staff and volunteers are working daily in the City Centre to support those with drug addictions and carry (AND ADMINISTER) Naloxone as part of their day to day operations. I was tempted to include figures into this, however they are freely available out there for all to see and are evidence of the increase. 

  Every single time that Naloxone has been used is a life that has been saved, a tragedy averted and has given someone a second chance with their life. 

  So you may ask why doesn't the PSNI Gcarry this vital drug? Well in short, no Police force in the UK do - it mostly is left to organisations working with drug users to administer Naloxone or the Ambulance Services. In short, it is seen as a 'risk' by National Police Bodies. It's at this point where I get deeply frustrated, burdened by red tape and risk assessments Police Officers are handcuffed to strict policy which prevents the carry and administering of this antidote to save lives.

  But all of the discussions that I have had with Senior Police Officers in Knock (PSNI HQ) have been based on one form of administering this antidote, when actually there are other variants, some having only been developed recently in the United States - so lets see some:

Syringe Injection

This is currently what is used by Charities and Voluntary organisations across the UK. Administered by injecting into the muscle of the upper thigh or arm with the syringe, its the most common form of using Naloxone in the case of an overdose.

Narcan Nasal Spray 

So taking it back to my conversation with Bill Evans, this is used by Police Officers across the United States and as indicated by its name is a nasal spray. It is simple and easy to use, with no assembly of kit. Though in many cases of overdose fluid can stem from both the nose and mouth proving this to be difficult to administer in such circumstances. However, for the antidote to take affect it only requires it to be used in one nostril. This currently is unavailable in the UK.

Evzio Auto-Injector

This fairly new product is currently being used in the United States, it was developed in response to the increasing Opioid Crisis there and was made available from 2015. Simply put anybody can use this by following the instructions given on the label, giving the individual the best chance of recovery. Though, obviously with it being new it is quite expensive and again has not made its way across the Atlantic.

 Future Hopes
  Moving forward it is so vital that the PSNI carry this life saving antidote. Many poor souls are being preyed upon by dealers and I am well aware of the Police's work in removing these scourges selling this poison from our society - however the Police could be supported in doing this with tougher sentencing laws!
  There is an awful lot of  rhetoric in terms safeguarding the public and protecting people, now its time for a simple request to change policy in order to do this. Many lives depend on it. The stock answer is that they seek their guidance from their UK counterparts, but our Police Officers already carry equipment that their UK counterparts don't due to operational requirements, therefore does this not apply to Naloxone? I certainly believe it does!


  I trust that our Officers in the PSNI are more than capable to participate on the day long course to be trained to administer Naloxone and are competent enough to carry this important antidote; for what could prove to be a life saving solution for an individual who has overdosed.


What do you think?