Despite the best efforts of the sector , we are all aware that deaths from drug poisoning have reached record levels in England and Wales , with 4,859 deaths registered in 2021 . This is the highest number since records began , and almost 50 per cent of those deaths involved an opiate . Without the harm reduction interventions of providers like Turning Point , the situation would be significantly worse , but we see that there is still a long way to go and that we need to work differently . On 30 November last year Turning Point hosted its first Safer Lives conference , supported with an education grant from Ethypharm . Held in Birmingham , our aim was to bring together commissioners , public health officials , third-sector organisations and our partners in the sector to join in making a commitment to addressing the
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drug death crisis . We welcomed around 100 delegates from third sector and NHS treatment providers , local authority public health teams , the police , ambulance services and organisations working with people who are homeless . From across the drug and alcohol sector colleagues from CGL , With You , Humankind and Cranstoun were in attendance , and it was inspiring to see so many people from different organisations coming together for a common goal .
In my role as Turning Point ’ s national safer lives lead , I cochaired the conference with our clinical director Dr David Bremner . After working in harm reduction for many years I joined Turning Point in 2020 as harm reduction manager for our Somerset service , and when I was offered the opportunity to expand this harm reduction work as national safer lives lead I jumped at the chance . The role allows me to support Turning Point in our increased focus on
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harm reduction while working across our services to increase naloxone awareness , distribution , and carriage . I plan to put lived experience at the centre of what I do and one of my first aims is to expand our peer-led naloxone distribution programme .
I often hear that there is too much focus on naloxone , that we need to look at benzos , people using alone , and the case for overdose prevention sites . And of course we do . But making sure naloxone is in the hands of everyone who may need to use it is vital . Professionally I ’ ve administered naloxone multiple times , but for me this is personal . I wouldn ’ t be here if it wasn ’ t for naloxone . I have lost friends who might still be here if naloxone had been more widely available . That ’ s why , at the start of the conference , I asked everyone in attendance to get trained and pick up a naloxone kit if they didn ’ t already have one . Turning Point staff provided this training throughout the conference and
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by the end of the day had issued more than 60 kits .
Speakers on the day included Professor Dame Carol Black , independent advisor to the government , Dr Ed Day , national recovery champion , and Pete Burkinshaw , alcohol and drug treatment and recovery lead at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities ( OHID ). The conference gave us the opportunity to reflect on where we are as a sector , and what the future may hold , and listen to examples of innovative practice in naloxone distribution from colleagues .
Professor Dame Carol Black reflected on the progress made since she published her report on the sector . She reminded us that the current economic uncertainty means we need to be ‘ bold , determined and innovative .’
The most moving presentation of the day came from Abigail Kearley , Turning Point ’ s national service user involvement lead . She spoke on behalf of Julie Rose ,
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