Home > Scottish national naloxone programme saved lives after release from prison.

Drug and Alcohol Findings. (2016) Scottish national naloxone programme saved lives after release from prison. Drug and Alcohol Findings Research Analysis, (27 September 2016),

External website: http://findings.org.uk/PHP/dl.php?file=Bird_SM_7.t...

In 2011 Scotland became the first country to fund a national policy of distributing the opiate-blocker naloxone to prevent deaths involving opiate-type drugs. According to this evaluation it did prevent deaths where the effect was most likely to be seen – in the weeks after release from prison..

Key points from summary and commentary
• Naloxone is an opioid antagonist which blocks the effects of opiate-type drugs, including those which lead to fatal overdose.
• In 2011 Scotland became the first country to fund a national policy of distributing naloxone to prevent deaths involving opiate-type drugs.
• A national evaluation found it did prevent deaths where the effect was most likely to be seen – in the weeks after release from prison.

 

See also

Cost-effectiveness of distributing naloxone to heroin users for lay overdose reversal. from Drug and Alcohol Findings Bulletin 21 December 2016

Life-saving potential of overdose education and nasal naloxone from Drug and Alcohol Findings Bulletin 27 September 2016

Long-acting opiate-blocker helps released prisoners avoid re-addiction from Drug and Alcohol Findings Bulletin 11 April 2016 

Did prison methadone save lives in Scotland? from Drug and Alcohol Findings Bulletin 19 February 2016

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