Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCC backs naloxone use

Donna Jones, Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, has renewed her call for wider access to naloxone, a drug that temporarily reverses the effects of opioid overdoses.

The appeal follows the government's announcement of a 10-week UK-wide consultation.

Mrs Jones said: "Naloxone saves lives and we must do all we can to help some of the most vulnerable people in our society at their most vulnerable moments.

"I supported the move for all police officers to carry naloxone and raised this issue nationally 18 months ago with the Home Secretary.

"I said that the government needed to push the distribution and use of naloxone by police officers, to save more lives from opioid overdoses."

She emphasised the risk posed by the rising prevalence of synthetic opioids.

Mrs Jones said: "We are trying to deal with an explosion in the access to and use of synthetic opioids, which is leading to increased numbers of deaths by accidental overdose.

"Police are often the first to discover someone having an overdose, during routine duties such as a welfare check or patrol."

PCC Donna Jones with a Hampshire and Isle of Wight PCSO. (Image: OPCC)

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary was among the first UK forces to pilot naloxone use.

The pilot began almost three years ago and involved training selected neighbourhood officers and armed response staff to administer the drug.

The force’s clinical governance board oversees the use of naloxone, ensuring each case is reviewed.

Nationally, as of December 2024, around 6,800 police officers and 880 police staff carry naloxone daily.

From June 2019 to 30 December 2024, police in England and Wales have administered the drug 554 times.

Mrs Jones has also introduced Drug Testing on Arrest in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, a system launched in October 2022.