Naloxone is a drug that can reverse the effects of opioid drugs like heroin, methadone, opium, codeine, morphine and buprenorphine. It is only effective for opioid overdoses and won’t work with any other drug.
Naloxone should be given to anyone who is non-responsive and displaying the signs of an overdose.
If you use opioid drugs, always ensure you have a naloxone kit to hand. Naloxone can be accessed through the following services:
- Substance Misuse Recovery Service (SMRS) – contact details under local support services
- Shetland Recovery Hub & Community Network – contact details under local support services
- Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs can supply Take-Home Naloxone via a postal service to anyone supporting someone at risk of, or likely to witness an opioid-related overdose. See link below to find out more – Take-Home Naloxone – SFAD
The Scottish Drugs Forum have a free e-learning module on administering Naloxone see link for more details – Administering Naloxone