Drug warning and guidance issued by Northamptonshire's Combatting Drugs and Alcohol Partnership
09 August 2024
Northamptonshire's Combatting Drugs and Alcohol Partnership, which is made up of, Police, health organisations, local drug and alcohol services, and North and West Northamptonshire Councils, is issuing a warning about the latest dangerous drugs in circulation in the county and across the UK. The Partnership has been alerted to an increasing number of incidents in recent months where drug users have experienced very poor health from taking street drugs, including heroin and cocaine, requiring emergency medical treatment.
The new group of drugs called synthetic opioids, sometimes known as Nitazenes, pose a substantial risk of overdose, drug-related hospitalisation, and drug-related death. The synthetic opioids are combined with street drugs, including heroin, which users may not be aware contains Nitazene. Anyone taking drugs is urged to take extra care and to alert the family and friends of those using street drugs to the danger of synthetic opioids.
Naloxone is a drug that can reverse the effects of opioids, such as heroin, methadone, opium, codeine, morphine, and buprenorphine. Giving Naloxone to someone who is overdosing on opioids can even save their life if it's used soon after they've overdosed and before emergency help arrives. The effects of Naloxone don't last very long, so it's vital always to call 999 and ask for emergency help when you use it. If you think someone is overdosing but you aren't sure what they've taken, you can still give them Naloxone. It won't hurt them, and it could help them. Click here to find out more about accessing Naloxone and drug and alcohol services in Northamptonshire.
Jane Bethea, Chair of the Northamptonshire Combatting Drugs and Alcohol Partnership and North Northamptonshire Council's Director of Public Health said: "Colleagues across the Northamptonshire Combatting Drugs and Alcohol Partnership want to ensure we protect people from harm by raising awareness of the dangerous drugs circulating in Northamptonshire and across the UK because of the devastating impact they can have.
"Our first priority is to prevent people from taking street drugs and providing support for their addiction. However, we must warn people about the serious harm caused by synthetic opioids and ensure they know how to minimise the harm they cause. If you are a drug user in Northamptonshire, please do not use drugs alone as it poses a potential risk to your health. Carry the rescue medication naloxone and share this guidance with family and friends."
There are services across Northamptonshire which provide treatment for drug users and those recovering from addiction, and this includes adults and young people. We urge anyone with any information or concerns about drugs in their community to call the police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Det Supt Steve Watkins, head of Central Intelligence at Northamptonshire Police, said: "We are committed to tackling drug dealers in the county that push these drugs on some of the most vulnerable people. No illegal drugs are safe, but these synthetic opioids are particularly deadly and make it impossible to know how someone might react to the drug, leading to unintentional overdose. As a force, we continue to work with partners to protect the public from drug harm as well as disrupting the supply of drugs into Northamptonshire."