Daily Record

Turning the tide

Programme aims to help addicts

- BY MARK McGIVERN Chief Reporter

THE initiative to train inmates in Scottish prisons to administer anti-overdose treatment is to be commended.

A third of our prison population has learned how to apply naloxone, which means they will be able to save lives.

Many have welcomed the training, which not only equips them to deal with any incidents inside but also means they can respond to overdoses after they have served their sentence.

Sean McFedries, head of operations at HMP Barlinnie, said recently that it was impossible to keep all drugs out of jails.

His acknowledg­ement was a reality check to a “zero tolerance” approach which ultimately holds back progressiv­e drug policies.

The prison initiative is now likely to be rolled out to other establishm­ents where drugs and addiction are issues. This is also a positive step. Scotland’s drug death crisis has seen too many lives lost and families torn apart.

Training people to deal with overdoses will help save lives and reverse the tide of misery that has shamed Scotland for far too long.

INMATES are being primed to apply anti-overdose treatment after a training drive inside Scottish prisons.

More than 300 prisoners at Saughton jail in Edinburgh have been trained to administer naloxone, which reverses heroin overdoses.

The initiative, which covered a third of the prison’s population in just one week, acknowledg­es that jails will be rife with drug taking and seeks to centre help on those most vulnerable.

It is hoped they will pass on those skills on the outside to any friends and family members associated with people who take drugs, encouragin­g them to stock naloxone and be clued up on how to use it.

HMP Edinburgh, HMP Barlinnie and HMP Low Moss now all run a “Naloxone Peer Champion” programme.

Run in partnershi­p with SPS, NHS and the Scottish Drugs Forum, it is now likely to be rolled out at other establishm­ents.

Ashley Close, 34, team leader of Edinburgh and Midlothian Offending Recovery Support Service (EMORSS), said: “Prisoners seemed genuinely interested and this was a great opportunit­y to help reduce the stigma associated with those who use drugs.”

Saughton prisoner Rachel, 37, welcomed the training, as she had previously witnessed a friend taking an overdose.

She said: “On the outside, my pal overdosed and I felt helpless. All I could do was phone an ambulance.

“But now I have completed training I know how to administer naloxone and I would be able to help a lot faster and feel confident knowing how to use it.

“The training was very helpful and well needed to save lives.”

Latest figures show a significan­t increase in the number of naloxone kits being issued, with 521 handed out between October and December last year.

That is a 31 per cent increase on the previous quarter, and 104 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2020.

Scotland’s drug death rate has rocketed in recent years to 1339 in 2021 - the worst in Europe.

 ?? ?? TREATMENT Naloxone kits
TREATMENT Naloxone kits

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