New programme to reduce drug-related deaths in Wigan
August 2022
A new programme is aiming to drastically increase the availability of the life saving opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone in the North West of England.
Drug, alcohol and mental health charity With You has teamed up with Wigan Council and the Wigan Offender Management Unit to launch the ‘peer to peer naloxone’ programme in Wigan.
‘Peer to peer naloxone’ is a model for naloxone distribution which doesn’t rely on people accessing drug treatment services. In the programme, a team of ‘peers’ (people with lived experience of drug and alcohol issues) proactively take naloxone out on the streets, approaching people who use opiates. They will give out the drug and train people in how to use it there and then.
The latest ONS statistics show drug related deaths in England and Wales are at record levels. There were 4,859 deaths in 2021 with approximately half involving an opiate. The North West of England recorded 161.2 deaths per million people. Meanwhile, a 2017/18 report by charity Release found just 16% of people who use opiates had been given take home naloxone.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist. It works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors on the brain, preventing opiates from activating them. Anyone who overdoses on an opiate should still be seen by emergency services, but naloxone buys people vital time until that support arrives.
Jake Kirkpatrick, a coordinator for With You’s peer to peer naloxone programme says: “Running the naloxone programme keeps me on my toes. Someone who has issues with drugs is always 24 hours away from using and recovery is a struggle. I take one day at a time. Getting the knowledge on how to use naloxone to help save lives is reassuring. It gets me ready to go again the next day. The programme has helped me in my own recovery.”
Tina Hill, a peer involved in With You’s peer to peer naloxone programme says: “People on the street see us with the naloxone and they feel comfortable to come and tell us their story. We see them looking better and more fresh and we know it's because we have trained them to use naloxone whilst giving them a safe space to talk.
“You don’t just wake up one morning and think I am going to score heroin today. We are all born as blank canvases and something happens to us, but people can turn their lives around. People on the streets see us and realise that we have done it, so they can do it as well.”
Vicki Nash, Service Manager of With You in Wigan and Leigh said:
“Every drug-related death is a tragedy and every death is avoidable. Too many families in Wigan have lost loved ones. It’s time to take action.
“The opportunity to carry and use naloxone shouldn’t be restricted to people who are engaging in drug treatment. This is about being proactively engaging people where they feel comfortable and saving lives.
“Naloxone is easy to use, relatively inexpensive and can be the difference between life and death. We know that people outside of structured drug treatment are most likely to die of a drug related cause so the peer to peer naloxone programme is a no brainer.”
Councillor Keith Cunliffe, Portfolio Holder for Adult Social Care at Wigan Council says: “The importance of this work cannot be understated. We will be removing barriers and engaging with people proactively to ensure action is taken before it is too late. It is truly tragic that we continue to see lives lost due to drug use but hopefully this programme will help bring so many avoidable deaths to an end.”
Sergeant Steve Hanley from the Wigan Offender Management Unit says:
“I have been sat in with group that has just started in the Wigan area to support peer to peer Naxolone use. The commitment of those involved is fantastic to see. There is a real appetite amongst those who are championing this, to distribute as many kits as possible as any one given kit could save somebody's life. I go and listen to the stories that are told and am on hand to answer any questions around how they may be received out in the community. I am glad to offer what support I can in what is a really worthwhile project.”
ENDS
Notes to editors
For more information and spokespeople requests, please contact the With You press office - pressoffice@wearewithyou.org.uk/ 07876032959
About With You
With You is a leading UK drug, alcohol and mental health charity. Each year we work with more than 100,000 people in over 120 locations across Scotland and England, providing a free and confidential service without judgement to people experiencing issues with drugs, alcohol or mental health.