Crece el interés por el uso de naloxona entre usuarios de heroína y opiáceos

Cada vez hay mayor interés por el uso de naloxona entre los usuarios de heroína y opiáceos, y se reconoce más el papel que puede desempeñar esta sustancia en varios tratamientos y como apoyo para reducir los daños y contribuir a la recuperación de las personas. Más información, en inglés, está disponible abajo

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Naloxone saves lives and its now accepted as an intervention to reduce drug related deaths. There is a growing interest in the use of naloxone with heroin and opiate users and a greater recognition of its role within a wider range of treatment and support in reducing harm and supporting recovery.

Sarz Maxwell says that providing Naloxone gives a clear message to the drug user 'it matters if you live or die'

Naloxone’s benefit to drug users and their communities includes more than overdose reversal. Drug users report that saving the life of a friend—or a stranger—can change the way drug users view themselves and their peers, increasing feelings of empowerment and self-efficacy. Studies demonstrate drug users want to help their peers who are overdosing and a high proportions of drug users indicate a desire to participate. Needle Exchange programmes and others working with injecting drug users report that naloxone distribution often revitalises outreach, strengthening the alliance between service providers and clients.

The site is administered by The Irish Needle Exchange Forum. The INEF is a harm reduction forum which encompasses strategies and interventions based on public health and human rights aimed at the reduction of negative consequences of drug use, including the transmission of infection, mortality and others. This includes HIV, Hepatitis B and C, STIs, overdoses and other negative consequences of drug use.

Whilst Harm Reduction programs work with in a variety of situations, with a variety of substances, it’s most high profile work is directly with injecting drug users (IDU’s) that are not, for a variety of reasons, gaining access to the public health services. Harm reduction includes such components as outreach work, needle exchange programs and substitution therapy. Depending on local settings, a number of the components can be present.

One can come across an opinion that the activities of harm reduction programs can lead to an increase of drug using population. In fact harm reduction activities have been extensively evaluated and are the only proven effective means ( World Health Organisation) of preventing HIV epidemics among IDU’s or controlling and reducing large IDU-related HIV epidemics.

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