Former drug users to help prevent opiate overdoses

The team is being deployed to educate people about naloxone, and how it can be used to temporarily reverse the effects of an overdose

A team of former drug users has been trained up to try and stop people in Plymouth dying after using strong synthetic heroin.

Two people died and 10 others needed hospital treatment in north Devon last month after taking drugs which were found to have contained nitazenes - a banned synthetic opioid which can be up to 500 times stronger than heroin.

For the first time in Devon, a team will take to the streets equipped with naloxone, which temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose.

The initiative has been launched by Plymouth-based drugs misuse charity Harbour.

The team was trained at the Harbour Centre in Plymouth before being deployed to the streets

Sean Gray, from Harbour, said having people with personal experience working on the initiative was "amazing".

He said nitazenes had also been found in Plymouth in drugs other than heroin - such as benzodiazepines: "In Plymouth in December, police seized about 300 blue tablets that were being sold as valium, which contains nitazenes.

"It's drugs that you wouldn't normally associate with opiates, where these synthetic opiates are being found."

Mr Gray said nitazenes were causing "a lot of problems" across the country.

'Giving back'

Graeme, one of those now trained as part of the initiative, said he had more than 24 years of experience of being an addict and hoped to use his experience to support others.

He said the initiative was explained to him at one of his quarterly meetings with the charity: "This has come at a point where I was struggling for confidence and needed a bit of self-belief.

"This stuff's just taken off, and for me it's giving back, because this problem is just getting worse..."

Public health consultant Kamal Patel said he was concerned about nitazenes being discovered in drugs like benzodiazepines

Kamal Patel, public health consultant at Plymouth City Council, said nitazenes were "concerning".

He said: "It has been found in other drugs, in heroin obviously we know, but also in valium and benzodiazepines, and it only takes a really tiny amount to have a big effect, they're that potent."

Mr Patel said it was "so important" to raise awareness of naloxone and to train people in its use.

"It saves lives, people die every day from drug-related deaths...it needs to be out there, and people need to be able to access it when they need it."

Harbour said Devon and Cornwall police were also supporting the initiative and had introduced naloxone into all marked police cars.