Naloxone has the potential to reverse the effects of heroin overdoses, report says.
A drug that has the potential to reverse the effects of heroin overdoses should be made available to addicts’ friends and family members as part of efforts to reduce deaths, experts have said.
New figures show a rise in all drug-related deaths to 679 in 2013, including deaths from heroin, which accounted for 86 fatalities.
In half of the deaths from heroin, the user was injecting, and in two out of five fatalities they were not alone at the time.
The figures are contained in a report published by the Health Research Board (HRB) on Monday, which said that many such deaths could have been avoided.
The controversial proposal to set up supervised drug injection centres is aimed at reducing the number of deaths from heroin.
It is hoped that a rollout of the naloxone drug could also have an impact.
Minister of State for Drugs Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said that “lives will be saved” as a result of the use of the drug.
Source: Mark Hilliard, The Irish Times, 15/12/15
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