The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Man saved by drug used to reverse overdose.
COLLAPSE: Second incident in days as charity and shop staff help to save a life
A Dundee man who collapsed in Albert Street following a near-fatal drug overdose survived after being attended by people from nearby shops and addiction charity We Are With You.
It came days after another overdose victim’s life was saved by a passerby just a few hundred metres away near the Cowgate underpass.
It is understood overdose-reversal drug Naloxone was used to revive him.
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman said: “We received a call to attend an incident at 14.14 hours on July 21 which was initially triaged as non-life threatening.
“It was later upgraded to an immediately life-threatening emergency at 14.56 hours and the crew arrived within six minutes. We would like to apologise for any delay the patient experienced and will be contacting them directly.”
Dave Barrie, from We Are With You, said people in the community are worried after the incidents but stressed he does not believe the number of overdoses has risen recently.
He said: “We Are With You took the lead in this situation and it was a really good collaboration and team effort between Boots and ourselves.
“The ambulance did take longer than usual but normally they are extremely quick with overdose situations. As far as I know, the figures for overdoses are roughly the same as previous years.
“Unfortunately it’s still going on but there is a real commitment to stop it.”
It is understood the man suddenly became unwell while walking along the street in the afternoon and those nearby rushed to help him.
Mr Barrie added: “What is positive this year is that there are new measures in place to support people after a nonfatal overdose.
“There are now immediate followups and intervention between services including medical support, police, and charities, to prevent it happening again.
“The evidence is pretty strong that people who have had a non-fatal overdose can later go on and have a fatal one.
“I definitely think support for nonfatal overdoses is helping. It will save lives.”
The improved support was one of the key recommendations put in place following a critical review of support for addicts in Dundee.
Mr Barrie said victims and their families are also given training in the use of Naloxone.
Those at risk are given supplies of the drug, which has no psychoactive properties or intoxicating effects, to protect them in the worst-case scenario.