One in five South Wales Police officers now equipped with life-saving naloxone

Earlier this month, the government set out new recommendations for making sure police officers have the skills and confidence needed to carry and administer the lifesaving drug to tackle illicit drug use.

The number of front-line officers carrying life-saving naloxone at South Wales Police is increasing year on year.

Today, 756 police officers, PCSOs and special constables are choosing to carry nasal naloxone – a decision which is saving lives every week.

Since it was introduced by South Wales Police in 2022, it has been used 134 times in situations deemed life-threatening by officers.

Members of the front line carry naloxone on a voluntary basis and undergo basic training on when and how to administrate the antidote which reverses the effects of opioid overdose.

While on duty on Saturday, April 17 (2025), Cathays officer, PC Hollie Flannigan, was dispatched to the Maindy area of Cardiff where a woman had come across an unconscious man in a lane.

PC Flannigan said:

“As I arrived I could see he was unconscious but he had his eyes open. His breathing was abnormal and he was cold to touch. The ambulance service had been notified but I knew there was no time to waste as his life could well be in danger. I gave him one dose of nasal naloxone which did not rouse him, so I gave him a second does and soon after he came around was sat up talking to us talking to us. The ambulance arrived shortly after and he was taken to hospital.”

She added:

“As police officers we are often first on the scene of medical emergencies. Nasal naloxone is very easy to administer and there is no risk of any adverse reaction, so carrying it is an obvious choice for me personally.”

Latest figures from Public Health Wales show that opioids contributed to more deaths in Wales in 2022-23, than any other substance. There were 125 opioid deaths, 64 involving heroin or morphine and the remaining 61 deaths involved at least one other opioid such as methadone, codeine or tramadol.

Opioids represent the most common substance group recorded in drug misuse deaths in Wales.

Naloxone lead for South Wales Police, Inspector Stuart Johnson, said:

"Back in 2018, drug deaths in Wales, more specifically in South Wales, were the highest they had been in a decade and we had to think of ways to reduce it.
"Following a very successful naloxone pilot in Neath Port Talbot in 2021, we made it available to officers across the force, and today, we have an ever-growing number of volunteers who carry it. Naloxone is very simple to use and it’s easy to carry. It reduces time spent at incidents which is beneficial to the service and ultimately helps to reduce overdose. Every front-line officer and potentially other services could carry naloxone – I really hope the growth in its use continues.”

On May 12, the government set out new recommendations to local authorities, police and public health organisations to better prepare against synthetic opioids in an effort to make streets safer. This includes making sure police officers have the skills and confidence needed to carry and administer naloxone, a lifesaving drug to tackle illicit drug use.

In support of the Home Office report, National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Drugs, Chief Constable Richard Lewis, said:

"Synthetic drug use, like all illegal drug use, is incredibly dangerous for those who use them as well as carrying high risks of overdosing and we welcome the governments recommendations in how we collectively respond to this particular threat.
“We have long supported the use of the anti-overdose drug Naloxone, which has dramatically reduced the chance of drug-related deaths when dispensed by officers who have been equipped with it and encourage its use further.
“We remain steadfast in doing all we can to protect the people we serve alongside partners, including the most vulnerable in our society and this tool is just one option we can take to achieve this.”