NHS Borders is reminding people to ensure they keep their Naloxone kit with them when they are socialising during the festive season.

Naloxone is a medication given by injection and works by temporarily blocking the effect of the opiate drug. In the event of an overdose the treatment can be given, temporarily reversing the effects of overdose and allows time for emergency services to arrive and therefore save a life.

The Scottish Government’s national programme to increase the availability of Naloxone continues to be successfully implemented by NHS Borders. The scheme promotes the use of a drug called Naloxone in a bid to reduce the risk of fatal overdose from opiate drugs such as heroin or methadone by providing drug users with a 'take home’ kit.

NHS Borders supplied 361 kits between the programme commencing in April 2011 and March 2014, with 28 of these being used in an overdose situation during 2013-14.

Dr Eric Baijal, Joint Director of Public Health said: “The aim of this programme is quite simply to save lives. For every person who dies through overdose, there are family and friends who share that tragedy. NHS Borders are currently devising news ways to ensure everyone needing this vital drug can have access to it.” A Naloxone 'take home’ kit is currently available to opiate drug users and opiate substitute users, aged sixteen and over. The kits are only issued following individual training on how to use the kit. The training is provided by both NHS Borders and Addaction and quite often family members receive the same training allowing them to be prepared for an emergency intervention. Up until recently only NHS Borders have been able to issue the kits, limiting the number of kits that can be given out. As of this month, Addaction can issue the kits along with providing the training making the kits more accessible.

For more information on the addiction services available in the Scottish Borders please visit www.nhsborders.scot.nhs.uk