Published on:
29
June 2023
The Council has agreed a new Naloxone Policy.
At a meeting of the Council earlier today, Councillors heard that, as part of the new policy, Council employees would be given the chance to complete potentially life-saving Naloxone training.
Naloxone is the medication which has been used for many years to temporarily reverse the effects of an opiate overdose.
Opiates include drugs like heroin and methadone, which have for decades, sadly been implicated in the majority of Scotland’s drug-related deaths.
Naloxone can be administered either as a nasal spray or, more commonly, as an injection from a container similar to the EpiPens used in cases of severe allergic reaction.
The training, which would be free and last around an hour, would be completely voluntary.
Supplies of Naloxone would come from the NHS at no cost to the Council.
The policy calls for a Naloxone Champion to be appointed within each service who would ensure that records of Naloxone training and supplies are kept up to date.
Clackmannanshire and Stirling Alcohol and Drug Partnership (CSADP) and Clackmannanshire Community Justice Partnership (CJP) have worked on the policy since last August.
Council staff who work in settings where they may encounter people in overdose situations have also been consulted.
Councillor Wendy Hamilton, spokesperson for health and social care, said: “Reviews of drug-related deaths show that people who have died through overdose are often known to Council services.
“The policy will allow Council staff, who wish to volunteer, to access training and be equipped to administer a potentially life-saving intervention should they encounter a suspected opiate overdose.
“This policy is welcomed as part of our wider commitment to supporting efforts to reduce harm from substance use.”
The Naloxone Policy forms part of wider joint working that has been taking place between CSADP and Clackmannanshire CJP over the past 18 months to align policies that promote harm reduction interventions, reduce drug deaths and address stigma and discrimination faced by people with substance use issues in any situation.