Naloxone should be available in communities like defibrillators – Cole-Hamilton

Naloxone kits should be in community boxes just as defibrillators are, the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats has said.

Alex Cole-Hamilton suggested making the kits available in such a way after he visited The Thistle safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow on Thursday.

He met staff at the centre, the UK’s first such facility which opened early this year, and spoke about Liberal Democrat plans to tackle drug deaths in Scotland.

He said naloxone, which can reverse a drug overdose, should be located across communities alongside defibrillators, which are used to treat heart attacks.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said: “I’d like to thank the staff at The Thistle for welcoming me, showing me their lifesaving work and talking with me about my party’s plans for tackling Scotland’s drugs death crisis.

“Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is a national tragedy, which is why my party have long called for radical action to stop people dying.

“We urgently need these facilities spread across Scotland in the communities where they can make the biggest difference.”

Naloxone is an emergency antidote for overdoses caused by opiates such as heroin and methadone, and it is usually administered as a nasal spray.

Mr Cole-Hamilton believes communities should have easy access to the drug so it can be used when and where needed.

He said: “Naloxone kits could be mapped in the same way that defibrillators are and co-located in many instances to create life stations, strategically sited in public places. It could put these resources within reach of everyone and provide easy round-the-clock access.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would also introduce multi-year funding for all drug and alcohol services so they can plan for the future and meet demand.

“We want to see the Government moving faster on pill-checking services. This is all on top of the funding we have already delivered to create new services to help babies born addicted to drugs.

“We have a realistic plan to stop people dying and deliver the world-class drugs services Scotland deserves.”

Naloxone is already regularly carried by police officers in Scotland to be administered if needed.

The latest figures show there were 607 suspected drug deaths in the first six months of 2025.

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Drug deaths in Scotland are down 13% and at the lowest level since 2017, but we want to do more to save and improve lives and will continue to work hard to improve services.

“Since the start of our National Mission, we have invested more than £4 million in widening naloxone access, including a substantial investment in our emergency services and community. pharmacies.

“Since Scotland’s national programme began in 2011, up to March this year, 214,337 take-home naloxone kits have been issued and the programme’s reach has risen to an estimated 82.2% of those at risk of opioid overdose.

“We will continue to explore how we can further increase availability of naloxone to those who need it, including through the use of a publicly available locked box model.

“In addition, we have provided record levels of funding for drugs and alcohol programmes, including widening access to treatment, residential rehabilitation. We opened the UK’s first safer drug consumption facility which is saving lives and are also working at pace to deliver drug-checking facilities.”