A campaign to prevent overdose among the area's most vulnerable drug users and homeless people has been launched in Greater Glasgow and Clyde. The Preventing Risk of Overdose in the Vulnerable (PROVE) Group has organised information sessions and distribution of practical items containing useful help and advice. The first event gets underway today in a project for the homeless in Glasgow.

Service users and staff from the area's drug and homeless services will see presentations on First Aid, Overdose Awareness, Naloxone Administration, Suicide Prevention, and ‘Alcohol & Street Drugs:What you Need to Know’. Anyone who attends today's event various promotional gifts such as lunch vouchers and goody bags containing gloves, hats, scarves and food items. Those attending will also be encouraged to participate in training, information and uptake of resources on Hepatitis ‘C’ prevention and treatment as well as needle exchange provision.

Jo Murray, local Health Improvement Senior–Drugs, said: “These events have been organised to highlight what help and advice is available over what is often a difficult time for some people.

“As well as the organised events, the campaign will also include the distribution of information wallets on support networks and contacts, overdose awareness advice and the Recovery Position diagram to illustrate what do to in an emergency. This information will be made available to substance users in Greater Glasgow and Clyde through statutory and voluntary services which work with this client group.”

The Preventing Risk of Overdose in the Vulnerable (PROVE) Group (previously the Preventing Overdose Campaign Group), has held overdose awareness campaigns at the festive period for the past four years, following work by Scottish Drugs Forum in the pioneering and early development of the scheme.

Anyone who attends today's event will be given various promotional gifts such as lunch vouchers and goody bags containing gloves, hats, scarves and food items.
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Reprinted from the Scottish Drugs Forum (http://www.sdf.org.uk)

Scottish Drugs Forum (SDF)www.sdf.org.uk is the national non-government membership-based drugs policy and information agency working in partnership to deliver effective responses to drug use in Scotland. SDF receives funding from the Scottish Government and a number of organisations in the health and social care fields.

SDF maintains that there is no single solution to Scotland's complex drugs problem.

SDF believes that drug use will only be tackled effectively in partnership and through a cohesive, co-ordinated multi-agency approach to the issue. We also believe in the fundamental right of problem drug users to be treated equally, non-judgementally and with dignity and respect.

SDF supports and represents, at both local and national levels, a wide range of interests promoting collaborative, evidence-based responses to drug use.

SDF seeks to:

* Improve awareness and understanding of drug use issues among all > sections of the community