Life-saving drug used 17 times at vital shelter
LIFE-SAVING drug Naloxone was used 17 times to save people from fatal overdoses in Glasgow’s winter night shelter last year. Staff at the shelter who are trained to administer the drug took action to help save lives.
Over the four months when the shelter is open, 691 people used the facility located in the city centre, with an average of 20 people per night.
Many of those using the shelter have a drug problem and Naloxone is used across homelessness services in the city.
Last year, 45 people who were registered as homeless died in Glasgow and some were drug-related.
Naloxone is used to reverse the effects of a potentially fatal overdose. Kits are distributed to homeless service staff and to others dealing with people with problem drug use.
Susanne Millar, interim chief officer of Glasgow’s Health & Social Care Partnership, said: “Sadly, of the 45 people who died, the majority of those deaths were related to complex health issues often associated with previous or current addiction issues, including mental health, with a smaller number recorded as drugs deaths.
“Many of our service users who died had previous or existing addiction issues, some also with significant mental health needs. It is the complexity of those needs which contributed to their deaths, rather than issues relating to their housing status.
“The number of lives potentially saved at the Winter Night Shelter demonstrates the scale of the problem. Unfortunately, this heart-breaking reality is replicated in our other homelessness services too. It is emotionally difficult for staff and trained volunteers at the Night Shelter who work closely with service users and whom I’d personally like to thank for their dedication and professionalism.”
Glasgow City Mission operates the winter night shelter from December to March.
Organisers said that had people been on the streets lives could have been lost.
A night shelter report on last winter’s operation, states: “Staff were trained to administer Naloxone2 and this season had to do so on a significant number of occasions.
“There were 17 instances where guests were identified as being in a potentially life-threatening situation and staff intervened by dialling 999 for an ambulance and administering naloxone.
“It is concerning to contemplate that these guests may well have died if they had been sleeping rough on the streets. Overall this season, we have witnessed a significant increase in excessive and/or poly-drug use of night shelter guests.
“This is corroborated by a substantial increase in drug-related deaths reported across the city this winter, of which three had previously slept in the night shelter.”
The night shelter opened three nights earlier than planned this year due to low temperatures in the city. those their
CASH should be handed out to struggling Pollokshields businesses to help them get back on their feet after a devastating blaze, it has been claimed.
Fire tore through a tenement block on Albert Drive last month, leaving traders to pick up the pieces.
Five business owners are still waiting to be allowed into their premises, with two jewellers set to be demolished.
A £5 million fund was set up following fires at the Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh building and Victoria’s Nightclub to support Sauchiehall Street businesses, and councillors are calling on the Scottish Government to boost the recovery in Pollokshields.
Police and fire officers are still investigating the cause of the blaze but say it could be difficult to uncover due to the extensive damage.
Councillor Jon Molyneux, who represents the area, said community crowdfunding to support those affected had hit more than £3500 but there would be an “ongoing financial impact”.
Work must be carried out to ensure the area “remains vibrant”, he said at a meeting of the city council’s Pollokshields Area Partnership. “It is having an impact on local businesses, it is noticeably quieter.”
Mr Molyneux added there was a case to be made to the Scottish Government. His comments were echoed by fellow local representatives Norman MacLeod and Hanif Raja.
Gordon Smith, from City Property, one of the council’s arms-length organisations, said five traders had still not been allowed access to the properties, including two jewellers. “As soon as it is safe to do so we will let them do so,” he said.
He added the two jewellers’ premises would be lost as they are under parts of the tenement which need to be demolished. One has already suffered a partial collapse.
Mr Smith said: “The chances of getting things out prior to demolition are very low.”
But, in response to a question from Mr MacLeod, said: “I’ll be