Image: Getty
From healthandcare.scot, seven days ago:
An independent evaluation of a mass media campaign on how to prevent drug deaths show it has had a positive impact on public awareness and increased the community supply of life-saving naloxone.
The Scottish Government commissioned ‘How to Save a Life’ campaign led to a surge in take-home naloxone – medication which can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose – during its run time between August and October 2021.
[Drug deaths began to fall by 21% in 2022, after falling by 1% in 2021 for the first time after years on climbing]
Adverts on television, radio, social media as well as physical advertising like billboards directed the public on how to access e-learning to administer naloxone and order the kits to their homes. The total number of kits distributed across the community in Scotland increased by 126% to a peak of 27,000 during the mass media campaign.
CEO Kirsten Horsburgh says the evaluation shows the real value and impact of the campaign:
“It is important to understand that many will have reached parts of the community that have not previously been reached in terms of naloxone supply.
“When naloxone kits reach the most marginalised people, are used in an emergency overdose situation and people are then re-supplied with naloxone, we see the potential for sustained impact initiated through the campaign.”
Scotland was the first country in the world to implement a national naloxone programme, which saw take-home naloxone (THN) given to those released from prison and distributed to community drug services.
Naloxone provision has since been expanded to the police [from February 2022] ambulance crews and even Edinburgh taxi drivers. Anyone in Scotland can now order a free naloxone kit from national charity Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol & Drugs (SFAD) and be trained in its use.
https://healthandcare.scot/stories/3561/naloxone-drug-deaths-scotland#:~:text=The%20Scottish%20government%20commissioned%20’How,between%20August%20and%20October%202021.
Opiates and opioids [treatable with Naloxone], including heroin, morphine and methadone, were implicated in more than 8 out of 10 drug related deaths in 2022.
While this major drop in drug deaths will not be due to only one factor, the Scottish Government’s world-leading scheme seems, on the evidence, to have been central to this success.
Neither the opposition parties nor the media in Scotland are rushing to praise it.
Talking-up Scotland 'Albatraz' 
Aye , Naloxone …but Ferries and blue tents and other pish …this is the real news !
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Suppression of positive news equates to transmission of negative.
Both SG Bad effective.
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Covid lockdown. Less dealers about. Less access to drugs.
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The Scottish Gov is funding proper, total abstinence, rehab facilities.£250Million over five years. Facilities have opened in the Borders and Dundee. With more to follow. The drug deaths will go down.
Rehabilitation beds fell from 400 to 7. SNHS cate increased. Spend £millions to save £Billions. Prevention is better than cure. Rehabilitation has to be paid privately instead of through SNHS. Unionist health boards.
The (unionist) councils will not fund proper rehab facilities. Putting people on methadone for years. All drug deaths in Scotland are people prescribed drugs then taking other substances.
The drug deaths will start to fall. Heroin is not the drug of choice. Now less deadly are acquired. Leading to poor health and costly but no so deadly.
Spend £millions to save £Billions. On subsequent costs. A new drug has helps take addiction is being produced. Dopamine substitute. Reduces the infliction of addiction in the brain. Genetic.
Thatcher care in the community prison. More costly than total abstinence proper rehab facilities. Now being funded by the Scottish SNP Gov.
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Most folk are moving away from SMACK and getting into CRACK cocaine, worse than that is now crystal meth is starting to rear it’s ugly head in Scotland. This stuff is CRACK on steroids, it makes you extremely aggressive and it’s habit forming takes no time at all. It’s dangerous, Naloxone will only treat opioids but it’s a quick fix it doesn’t last.
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The media rumpus over drugs deaths in Scotland is as much an exercise in propaganda as the rest, distraction from a string of UK governments which have driven parts of the population to the brink of desperation.
Anything positive such as the SG initiative you highlight is drowned out by the clamour to demonstrate England is better, not why that might be.
I’m certain someone will have analysed the data to find horrendous spikes in quite specific catchments slewing the figures, but that wouldn’t sell the headline, which is a huge media problem.
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People are using other drugs rather than heroin. Still mind altering but not so deadly. The young are going for help sooner. There is help available. NA, AA. Total abstinence and the increase in proper rehab facilities. Not privately paid. It will reduce drug deaths.
£250million over five years will help reduce drug deaths. Total abstinence rehab facilities and counselling. Regain responsibility. MUP and smoking ban. Obesity needs counselling too. Fill emptiness and anxiety.
Gov could change food industry. Processed food. Challenge sugar and fat use. Scottish Gov does not have the power.
Independence for a better, brighter future.
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