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‘ Our services and the infrastructure of a once-good treatment system are more than frayed at the edges ; they are beginning to fall apart .’ |
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We need to deliver great harm reduction advice , including overdose prevention , and offer a broad range of needle and syringe provision . These services need to be easy to get , consistently available and low threshold .
2 . GET NALOXONE OUT TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE . Treat it as a normal part of how treatment starts , not an optional add-on . Make sure it is everywhere .
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means being careful , but also being brave .
5 . BUILD ON THE WORK WE SAW HAPPEN IN LOCKDOWN , bringing communities together . This means helping people to see a bright future with opportunities to connect , and rebuilding their lives with meaning . There was a lot of creativity and partnership working in local services and communities – let ’ s grow that with our commissioners and partners .
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by government , so it may be some time before we see any change in terms of improved funding .
Which leaves it up to us , as a sector , to step up .
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There are a few things I think we can all do better . We need to go back to basics and get the fundamentals right . This could save lives , help improve capacity in the system , and help more people to move forward with their lives and regain good health :
1 . FOCUS ON OUR HARM REDUCTION SERVICES , keep them open and get them right .
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3 . MAKE SURE WE ALL PROVIDE A GOOD RANGE OF ONLINE GROUPS which are easy to access for as many people as need them . Yes , I know not everyone has a computer – but they ’ ve been a lifeline to many and are an opportunity for us to build a new way of providing a wider range of support to more people .
4 . FLEX OUR APPROACH TO PRESCRIBED MEDICATION where we can to make it easier for people to stay in treatment . This
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Our services and the infrastructure of a once-good treatment system are more than frayed at the edges ; they are beginning to fall apart . So it ’ s time to not just make do , but mend . We can still do it by returning to the basics of a good system , being creative and using smart , new technology to reach more people in more areas .
The drug-related deaths figure always gives us pause for thought . We all have an opportunity for change .
Karen Tyrell is an executive director at Humankind
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Level up
Behind most deaths are stories of trauma and people doing their best to cope with emotional pain that has never been resolved . We know that people who use drugs problematically but aren ’ t in treatment are most likely to die of a drug-related cause .
It ’ s also clear that cocaine use has increased exponentially in the last decade , with both crack and powder becoming increasingly available and affordable , yet many people remain unaware of the potential harms . We need much better education early on in schools and throughout the population on how to use drugs in the safest way possible and what support is out there .
We also need to recognise that problematic drug use is often a reaction to people ’ s surroundings . Issues such as rising homelessness , poor mental health and a lack of economic opportunities in some areas all lead to people using drugs . It ’ s therefore no surprise that drug-related deaths are highest in the UK ’ s most deprived areas , with the impact of the COVID-19 crisis likely to exacerbate many of these issues . It ’ s more important than ever that the government stays true to its levelling up agenda to address inequalities across the country . Laura Bunt , deputy CEO , We Are With You
Invest in treatment
There is indisputable evidence that treatment saves lives and it ’ s time for action to provide the investment that can reverse this tragic loss of human life .
These statistics show that almost half of deaths are related to opiates . Long-term heroin users with poor health , who frequently engage in poly-drug and alcohol use , are most at risk . For this group the best way to prevent drug-related deaths is to get people into treatment .
Widescale distribution of naloxone kits , which can be used to save someone ’ s life if they overdose from heroin or other opioids , is also key to preventing deaths . We have been delivering training to community pharmacies to deliver take-home naloxone services to make it even more accessible . Graham Parsons , chief pharmacist , Turning Point
Equal opportunities
In the last decade , rates of drug poisoning deaths have been higher in the most deprived areas of England and Wales .
Targeted investment in all forms of treatment could create fair and equal access to treatment .
Everyone should be able to access good quality healthcare regardless of wealth . The stigma of addiction leads of discrimination , exclusion from healthcare and the tragic loss of life . It is evidently wrong that the people with the most complex needs , and fewest resources , should have to fight the hardest , overcome the greatest barriers , and contribute the most financially , to access healthcare . Karen Biggs , chief executive , Phoenix Futures
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