August 31st each year marks International Overdose Awareness Day Taking place for over 10 years, this is a day to raise awareness of drug overdose, how overdose can be prevented, how to respond in an emergency, remember people who have been lost and campaign for change.
If you want to learn more about responding to an overdose, Scottish Drugs Forum have launched a new e-learning course which you can access here. The course covers how to identify an overdose, how to prevent an overdose and the use of naloxone.
Naloxone is used to reverse an opioid overdose and saves lives. In Scotland we have a take home naloxone programme which means that you can access naloxone for free and carry it with you so that you are ready to respond to an opioid overdose. Find out more about naloxone here.
While the majority of drug related deaths in Scotland involve opioids it is important to remember that depressants and stimulants can also lead to overdose too. If you know the signs to look out for and how to respond you can help save a life.
Drug related deaths are preventable. Below are some downloadable posters and factsheets about overdoses and how you can respond.
Downloadable resources
To find out more about drug-related deaths in Scotland read our latest Drug Trend Report.
