Around 120 police officers in the north-east will be issued with naloxone kits to help reverse drug overdoses.
This is the first time officers in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray are receiving the personal issue kit, with more officers to be trained and equipped in the near future.
There are 1,107 total local police officers in the north-east division.
Training and issuing of kit across the country to all operational officers is expected to be completed early in 2023.
All officers up to the rank of inspector will be included.
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone is designed to reverse respiratory suppression caused by drugs such as heroin, methadone, opium, morphine, codeine, tramadol and fentanyl.
This can buy the casualty critical minutes until paramedics arrive on the scene, which otherwise may have ended fatally.
It has been identified as a key tool for the government to help fight the north-east drug death epidemic.
Officers will be issued with a nasal spray version of the drug.
Aberdeen and Moray with record drug deaths
In 2021, Aberdeen had 62 deaths and Moray recorded 17. Both figures were record highs.
Across Scotland, there were 1,330 drug related deaths.
It is the highest drug related deaths rate in Europe, with a rate 3.7 times higher than the UK average.
‘Policing about far more than law enforcement’
Divisional commander Chief Superintendent Graeme Mackie said: “Drug misuse can have devastating effects on individuals, families and entire communities.
“I hope by training and equipping our officers with Naloxone we can have a positive impact on the lives of vulnerable people and affect positive changes in attitude.
“Policing is about far more than law enforcement, and the preservation of life is a core duty for officers.”
Naloxone becoming standard issue kit
Naloxone started being carried in Caithness, Glasgow, Dundee, Falkirk, Grangemouth and Stirling in March last year.
Since then, it has been used in at least 95 incidents by officers, with positive outcomes on all but four occasions, where in three of those cases officers believed the person was already deceased.
Almost 4,000 officers are now both trained and equipped with Naloxone or are due to undertake online training in the coming weeks.
In August, officers at Lerwick Police Station in Shetland also received kits on International Overdose Awareness Day.
On December 7, nearly 600 Naloxone pouches are also being distributed to Highlands and Islands police officers.
