Naloxone usage by Police Scotland officers, April - June 2023

Police Scotland officers administered the opioid reversal treatment Naloxone on at least 99 occasions in the first quarter of 2023-24.

Between 1 April and 30 June, the life​-saving first aid treatment was provided by officers in the West at 36 incidents, in the North on 38 occasions and in the East at 25 incidents.

Sadly, there were four casualties in this time who were beyond medical assistance and did not survive.

This brings the total numbers of administrations since Naloxone was first provided to officers as part of a national test of change in March 2021 to at least 252 incidents. While the overwhelming majority of cases had positive outcomes, sadly, on eight occasions, the casualty was beyond medical assistance and did not survive. ​

Naloxone is an emergency, first aid response to an opioid/opiate-related drug overdose. It reverses the respiratory suppression caused by opioids, re-stimulating the casualty’s breathing. It can buy critical time for ambulance clinicians to arrive and provide professional medical care. It is an extremely safe treatment which has no effect on someone who hasn’t taken opioids/opiates.

Police Scotland’s national rollout of Naloxone began on International Overdose Awareness Day in August 2022 following successful pilots in Caithness, Dundee, Falkirk, Glasgow and Stirling in 2021. Naloxone is now part of standard issue kit for all officers up to and including the rank of Inspector.

The carriage and use of Naloxone by Police Scotland officers is part of a number of national and local public health efforts to address Scotland's extremely high drug death rate. In addition, it’s hoped the high profile carriage of Naloxone by police officers will raise awareness of Naloxone and what it does, as well as encouraging members of the public to consider undertaking training to carry kits themselves.

Further information about Police Scotland’s Naloxone programme is available on our website.