2. International Overdose Awareness Day
International Overdose Awareness Day takes place on August 31st every year.
This year there’s a host of excellent posters and social media badges which can be used to promote this issue. Click below
What can your service do?
​Ask clients about drug use and risk of overdose
Ask clients not to use alone
Tell clients what an overdose looks like (click here for a video which shows the signs and symptoms)
Ask clients, their friends and family members to get some naloxone , it could save a life
Click here to find out where overdose awareness training and naloxone are available from in Grampian
Here’s why.....

3. DRUG RELATED DEATHS Drug Related Deaths continue to rise
In 2017 in Scotland 934 people lost their lives
54 of these people lost their lives in Aberdeen City,
24 in Aberdeenshire and 7 in Moray
Over 80% had opioid drugs such as heroin or methadone in their system at time of death
Most deaths (75%) occurred in people aged 35 years and over.
These deaths were potentially preventable

4. OVERDOSE AWARENESS AND NALOXONE
Training in Overdose Awareness and Naloxone is one of the interventions which might help reduce drug related deaths
Naloxone is a drug which can reverse the effects of opioid drugs such as heroin and methadone for around 30 minutes
This can buy precious time until an ambulance arrives
Although it will not act on substances such as diazepam or Xanax, it can still help where multiple substances including opioid drugs have been taken together – a common scenario
People at risk, their friends and families and service workers in contact with those at risk can all be trained
Naloxone is widely available in Grampian however a recent study (NESI) carried out in Scotland showed only 6% of people had naloxone with them when they were interviewed at the needle exchange.

5. KEY RISK FACTORS People at highest risk of overdose include:
Anybody who uses substances but particularly those aged 35yrs and over and using multiple substances
Just released from prison or discharged from hospital or treatment
Homeless, living alone and/or isolated
Those who have experienced overdose before

6. TO THE POINT
If you don’t already know, find out where your nearest naloxone service is located
If you and/or your service are in contact with people at risk of overdose – get trained in overdose awareness and naloxone
Know how to identify people at risk and train them/encourage them to get trained
Encourage people to carry a supply of naloxone/keep handy whenever and wherever drugs are being used
Consider whether you or your service might be able to do more to support people at risk of opioid overdose
Remember – August 31st is International Overdose Awareness Day -use this as an opportunity to raise awareness.
Posters and social media tools are available here.

7. Further Information Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire Central and South
Your local naloxone coordinators are Fiona Raeburn and Lucy Skea.
Telephone:
Details of all services delivering naloxone for people at risk, friends and family members can be found here
Services can contact the agencies on the right directly to discuss access to training and naloxone supply
Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire Central and South
Alcohol and Drugs Action
Telephone:
Aberdeenshire North
Turning Point Scotland, Peterhead
Telephone:
Moray
Arrows
and-alcohol-support/
Telephone: