Put Naloxone kits in defib-style community boxes says Scot Lib Dem leader

Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP has today visited The Thistle Safer Drug Consumption Facility in Glasgow, where he met with staff, spoke about his party’s plans for tackling Scotland's drug deaths crisis and called for naloxone kits to be located like defibrillators in communities across Scotland to tackle overdoses.

Naloxone is an emergency antidote for overdoses caused by opiates such as heroin and methadone. It is typically administered as a nasal spray. It is regularly carried by Police Scotland officers but can be administered safely by anyone as Naloxone has no effect on people that are not having an overdose.

Mr Cole-Hamilton is now calling for kits to be mapped in the same way that defibrillators are and co-located in many instances, strategically sited in public places and providing easy round-the-clock access.

Trials have already taken place in the United States and in Aberdeen.

The latest figures show that there were 607 suspected drug deaths in the first six months of 2025.

Mr Cole-Hamilton said:

“I’d like to thank the staff at The Thistle for welcoming me, showing me their lifesaving work and talking with me about my party’s plans for tackling Scotland’s drugs death crisis.

“Scotland’s drug deaths crisis is a national tragedy, which is why my party have long called for radical action to stop people dying.

“We urgently need these facilities spread across Scotland in the communities where they can make the biggest difference.

“However, there are other measures that I would like to see explored as a matter of urgency.

"Naloxone kits could be mapped in the same way that defibrillators are and co-located in many instances to create life stations, strategically sited in public places. It could put these resources within reach of everyone and provide easy round-the-clock access.

“Scottish Liberal Democrats would also introduce multi-year funding for all drug and alcohol services so they can plan for the future and meet demand. We want to see the government moving faster on pill-checking services. And this is all on top of the funding we have already delivered to create new services to help babies born addicted to drugs.

“We have a realistic plan to stop people dying and deliver the world-class drugs services Scotland deserves.”