Inmates at Edinburgh's Saughton prison will soon be able to administer an anti-overdose treatment that is used by police to reverse the effects of heroin.
Over 300 prisoners at HMP Edinburgh are being primed to take on special training to apply naloxone, which has been rolled out to treat those suffering a heroin overdose.
The initiative is taking shape due to the acknowledgment that drug-taking in jails is rife and will seek to centre help for the most vulnerable.
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The Record reports that it's hoped that inmates may pass on those skills on the outside to any friends or family who have been subject to drug abuse, encouraging them to stock naloxone and be clued up on how to use it.
HMP Edinburgh, HMP Barlinnie and HMP Low Moss now all run a "Naloxone Peer Champion" programme. Run in partnership with SPS, NHS and the Scottish Drugs Forum, it is now likely to be rolled out at other establishments.
Ashley Close, 34, team leader of Edinburgh and Midlothian Offending Recovery Support Service (EMORSS), said: "Prisoners seemed genuinely interested and this was a great opportunity to help reduce the stigma associated with those who use drugs."
Rachel, 37, who is a prisoner at Saughton jail, has witnessed a friend taking an overdose and has spoke about how beneficial the training could be. She added: "On the outside, my pal overdosed and I felt helpless. All I could do was phone an ambulance.
"But now I have completed training I know how to administer naloxone and I would be able to help a lot faster and feel confident knowing how to use it. The training was very helpful and well needed to save lives."
Latest figures show a significant increase in the number of naloxone kits being issued, with 521 handed out between October and December last year. That is a 31 per cent increase on the previous quarter, and 104 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2020.
Scotland's drug death rate has rocketed in recent years to 1339 in 2021 - the worst in Europe.
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