NEW VISION BRADFORD has launched a‘ You can save a life’ campaign to urge more people to carry naloxone and cut the district’ s drug-related death toll. The campaign was developed in partnership with the University of Bradford, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Echo Fire and Medical, and West Yorkshire Police.‘ Most of those deaths were preventable if only naloxone had been available,’ said New Vision assistant director, Becky Norton.‘ This campaign is about empowering people to save lives.’ Watch the film at https:// youtu. be / tAWhAunvg-U |
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VITAL STEP
Scotland’ s first drug consumption room in Glasgow has sparked criticism, particularly from those who believe funding should go towards abstinence-based treatment instead. But this isn’ t an either / or situation.
Stopping all drug use may be the best option for some people who are struggling – but that doesn’ t mean we shouldn’ t have
‘ Drug consumption rooms don’ t replace treatment; they give people a safe space, prevent overdoses, and reduce infection.’
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harm reduction services to save lives. Drug consumption rooms don’ t replace treatment; they give people a safe space, prevent overdoses, and reduce infection. Crucially, they keep people alive – because without that, recovery isn’ t an option.
You can debate the costs, the details, and whether the money could have helped more people elsewhere. But surely the principle behind it, saving lives and keeping people safer, is something we can all agree on. Mark Stokes, by email
INSIDE INSIGHT
I am currently in prison in Scotland and I’ ve been in and out of prison most of my life. I started drinking alcohol when I was 13 years old and mostly drank at the weekend as I was at school Monday to
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Friday. I eventually got expelled from high school and sent to residential school, leaving at the age of 16. I had a few casual jobs working with a cleaning company, a restaurant and then on the fairground and the highways.
I would say that my drinking got out of control when I was 19. I was drinking every day and if I couldn’ t get money for alcohol, I was shoplifting alcohol. I also lied to family and friends to get money for alcohol and stole from my family.
I was bringing the police to my mum’ s address on a regular basis, coming home drunk. I was also violent towards my family and smashed my mum’ s car window when I was drunk.
I’ ve been in and out of prison since I was 19 or 20 – I’ m now 41. All my offences have been committed under the influence. Most of my sentences have been short – the longest I’ ve done is one year, until now. I’ ve been in since 10 October 2019 and my next parole is April 2026. I
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have an OLR [ Order for Lifelong Restriction ] so I have to hope I get out at my next parole.
I’ m doing everything I can to become a better person now. I’ m doing an offence-focused programme which I should have finished by May or June, then I can progress to‘ top end’, then to the open estate.
I’ ve got no real family left since my mum passed away in 2017. It has been really hard since then and I just wish I could turn back time and spend the time I never spent with her. I really do miss my mum and my gran passed away in 2006, my uncle passed away in 2022 and my mate was murdered in 2001. I just want to be better myself.
I keep myself busy in here now – on a Monday I work in the timber shed, on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday mornings I’ m at my offencefocused programme. In the afternoons I’ m at work, then on a Friday I’ m at the recovery café, so I have a busy week. Name and prison supplied
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