These adverts encouraging people to carry drug antidote?

[Tealandabney]

I had not heard of this antidote before. it is a good thing more people do know about it. And obviously if it helps save lives that is a good thing. I do wonder if it could give some people false security to go ahead and take drugs though. The cynical part of me hopes that the Scottish government is doing all it can to stop people actually taking drugs in the first place and not just using this as a tactic to reduce the deaths so their stats don’t look so bad.

I was quite shocked to hear Martin Compston telling me about this. What I want to know is how I’m supposed to know someone’s overdosed? Like if I come across someone in the street?

Och he can sod off. Hope he donated his fee for the advert to a drugs charity.

This is typical of the Sottish Government.. pass the buck... make the stats look good.. look at all the money and initiatives we have set up.. all the boxes we have ticked... REGARDLESS of whether any of them actually WORK!!
So we have uninformed, untrained members of the public randomly sticking drugs into random people who may or may NOT be high on unknown drugs...
And who is responsible for their reaction? And who will protect the 'injector' from accusations of assault?
And when the 'addict' has an adverse reaction to whatever they have voluntarily taken, who will get the blame ?
Total minefield.. in a society which will sue you for blinking at the wrong time.
But the box has been ticked folks.... the box has been ticked...

Passing the buck is exactly it.

It's not their fault the NHS can't cope with Covid, it's our fault for not making "safer choices" or leaving our council boundaries. Same as this, if someone dies of a drug overdose it will be because a passer-by didn't have the drug with them.

@Hotelhelp

I was quite shocked to hear Martin Compston telling me about this. What I want to know is how I’m supposed to know someone’s overdosed? Like if I come across someone in the street?

Martin Compston is a very vocal Scottish Nationalist. Jobs for their pals.

Because that Janey Godawful advert worked so well, didn't it?

Hearing the advert just sounds like drugs must be so widespread in the country that everyone should be carrying these antidotes. And the sg have just accepted its a way of life now and like pp said passing the buck to the general population to deal with it.

Also I am aghast at how complicated it sounds to administer them. Obviously requires some training

Agree, from what the previous poster said it does sound complicated. It's not like something like an EpiPen which you just stick in someone's thigh and fire the lot into them.

Again, I have no issue with family members, or partners, or even the police carrying this stuff to administer to people overdosing. It's the expectation that EVERYONE should be ready and willing to step in that gets my goat.

And we safely dispose of the sharps exactly where?
Big yellow bin at the door of Asda, what could possibly go wrong?
And the patient who is legitimately on prescribed opioids for pain but passes out due to their diabetic hypo or seizure disorder, we suddenly reverse their necessary analgesia and add acute pain, hypertension and a possible heart attack to their woes?
Not sure I want to be responsible for that

It is an injection that or given, using a syringe. It’s not like an epi pen. It is right and proper that training is given, and guidance given by 999 personnel. You need to recognise the signs of overdose; you don’t just administer to any unconscious person you find on the street.

There is roll out of police carrying, but they have the nasal spray, and are given the choice whether to carry it on their belts.

Also, the issue with drug addiction in Scotland is the use of multiple drugs at the same time, some of which will be opioids, so Naloxone with counter the effect of the opioid but not, say cocaine; that may be enough to stop the overdose and death.

I think it's totally irresponsible to encourage members of the Public to get involved in this
I would phone an ambulance and otherwise keep out of it

So @mogglemoo - as our resident expert/trained person - what's your opinion of the rest of us who haven't been trained being asked to step in? I've never given an injection to anyone in my life and my medical training consists of watching Holby and the 999 What's Your Emergency programme. I know that injections go into muscles, probably in your arm? But apart from that, clueless.

I suppose the thought process is that trying to help and getting it wrong is worth the risk as people are going to die anyway. Sort of like the risk of breaking a couple of ribs doing CPR being worth it.

People aren't going to embrace this in large numbers. But in 2 years or 5 years when drug death numbers are still high, the Scottish government can blame Joe and Jane Public rather than looking at themselves.

It is the Scottish Government's we are all in this together pish ! I won't be injecting anybody.

It's ridiculous expecting people to carry it on the off chance they come across someone who has overdosed. Yes giving to families of addicts is a good idea and is already done. As mentioned already naloxone has a shorter half life than heroin so more than one dose is needed and not everyone is delighted to receive it. I have given naloxone many times in a previous job but I won't be carrying it in my handbag in the very unlikely event I stumble across somone needing it

@KingsleyShacklebolt

So *@mogglemoo* - as our resident expert/trained person - what's your opinion of the rest of us who haven't been trained being asked to step in? I've never given an injection to anyone in my life and my medical training consists of watching Holby and the 999 What's Your Emergency programme. I know that injections go into muscles, probably in your arm? But apart from that, clueless.

I suppose the thought process is that trying to help and getting it wrong is worth the risk as people are going to die anyway. Sort of like the risk of breaking a couple of ribs doing CPR being worth it.

People aren't going to embrace this in large numbers. But in 2 years or 5 years when drug death numbers are still high, the Scottish government can blame Joe and Jane Public rather than looking at themselves.

I totally understand. Before I was trained, I would have been reticent.

The Naloxone cartridge is twisted open, you attach the needle to the syringe barrel, and the cap is taken off.
You then insert the needle fully at 90 degrees, I usually do it at the top, back of the leg, near the buttocks. Each syringe barrel holds 5 doses, clearly marked, and you administer one dose. You then put the syringe back in the yellow container, close and put somehere safe.

The patient is monitored between you and the 999 operator for 2 minutes. If there has been no response, then you are asked to give another dose. And repeat until the ambulance arrives.

You are also asked to monitor the breathing of the patient and, sometimes, it is necessary to begin CPR chest compressions.

The ambulance staff can take the unused Naloxone away in their sharps bin.

I suppose I find it hard to understand that people would probably give a good go at CPR to people in the streets (can’t think of how to describe it, but maybe if I had collapsed, or my Mum or daughter), but because it’s a person who has addiction difficulties, then it’s ‘not my problem, I don’t want involved’

But, I work with people with addiction issues as part of my job, so I see them as people who need support, just like the rest of us.

It makes me sad and angry that society sees my service users like that.

I am not sure that many people would administer cpr. A lot may like to think they would but in reality it is not all that straight forward and requires training really. Also less likely that your attempts at cpr would make matters worse, which is why I would worry about administering a drug.

Anyone who requires ( even an attempt at) CPR is unlikely to then become agressive and/ or abusive.
Can you promise that a drug user will sit up and say thank you??
You are being asked to put your own safety at risk for someone who has made a lifestyle CHOICE.

I have drug addicts in my extended family, I "know" drug addicts of course they are human beings but I still wouldn't administer a drug into them.

I'm not a medic I'm not a first aider and I don't Intend to carry a medicine just incase and because the Scottish government want to involve the general public in something so they can tick the war on drugs box, drugs are rife in Scotland but I don't think it's everybody's issue.

I haven't heard/seen the advert but my first reaction is that the same government/party who don't think parents should be responsible for their own children (named person) do think that everyone should be responsible for saving the life of someone overdosing

Box ticking indeed.

I carry paracetamol about with me and if a pal has a headache I'd feel happy giving them 2. I wouldn't have a clue how to use an epipen or a defibrillator. But I'd assume 999 would guide me if i had to. An overdose is a separate thing. I'd be wary and scared to get involved incase it turned violent. Drugs make people unpredictable.

Crikey!!
I've not seen the advert but do they really want the public to go about administering medication to people on the street?
Is that the plan?
How would you know it's a drug overdose?

These are the big questions sartorius! The advert doesn’t explain but it says anyone can get this medicine and “you, me, everybody” can save a life (that may not be exact words, but that is the jist of it

For some reason I did assume it was a Scottish government thing as it does sound like the sort of thing they would dream up as a good idea. I do t think it is a uk advert? Does anyone know?

Say I come across the aforementioned “body in the doorway” - how can I tell whether they’re 1) smack OD, 2) diabetic coma, or 3) “tired and emotional”.

Or do we just go around jagging people with hypodermics?

@AlphabetAerobics

Say I come across the aforementioned “body in the doorway” - how can I tell whether they’re 1) smack OD, 2) diabetic coma, or 3) “tired and emotional”.

Or do we just go around jagging people with hypodermics?

I think naxolone isn’t dangerous if given to someone who hasn’t overdosed on opioids, so if you had a reasonable belief they’d overdosed and it turned out you were wrong, I don’t think you’d harm them. But yes, I agree with you that I wouldn’t want to be injecting someone I didn’t know with something (I get a bit stressed thinking about the possibility of having to use DH’s epipen on him).