North Yorkshire Horizons unites with other Yorkshire drug services to warn of overdose risks

The collaborative initiative involves services from Barnsley, Bradford, Calderdale, Leeds, North Yorkshire, and Sheffield, all of which are sounding the alarm about the worrying emergence of new synthetic opioids found in a variety of illicit drugs across the UK.

The services - Barnsley Recovery Steps, New Vision Bradford, Calderdale Recovery Steps, Forward Leeds, North Yorkshire Horizons, and LikeWise Sheffield - are all led by national charity Humankind.

Lee Wilson, Humankind’s Regional Director for Bradford, Leeds, and North Yorkshire expressed deep concern: “We are seeing the rise of nitazenes, dangerous synthetic opioids, being mixed into illicit drugs. These substances are not only being found in heroin, cocaine and spice but are also appearing in counterfeit medications sold as Xanax, Valium, diazepam and others.

“What’s especially troubling is that there is no known safe dose for many nitazenes, and they’re being sold in packaging that is nearly indistinguishable from legitimate prescription tablets.”

There were 601 overdose-related deaths in the Yorkshire and Humber region in 2022, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics. Local drug services fear that this number could rise significantly due to the increase in contaminated drugs. At least 284 deaths have been linked to high-strength nitazenes since June 2023 according to the National Crime Agency.

Operations Director of North Yorkshire Horizons Mark Vidgen, highlighted the proactive steps being taken: “We are working diligently to distribute naloxone, a life-saving medication that can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, to as many people as possible. While the safest choice is to avoid illicit drug use altogether, we urge those who do use to take steps to minimise the risks.”

Mark also called on the public to play a role in preventing overdoses: “We’re appealing to everyone—if you see someone who may have overdosed, don’t ignore them. That person is someone’s loved one. Call an ambulance and stay with them. Your actions could save a life.”

International Overdose Awareness Day takes place every year on the 31 August. It is the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose, remember without stigma those who have died and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind.