South Yorkshire Police use Naloxone nasal spray to save woman after drug overdose in Sheffield

Police in South Yorkshire saved a woman's life by using a nasal spray now being routinely carried by some officers.

The woman was found collapsed in Sheffield city centre by officers on patrol on Friday.

Sgt Simon Pickering, who noticed the woman, said she failed to respond to initial attempts to revive her.

But he was carrying the spray Naloxone as part of an initiative announced last month.

Sgt Pickering said the woman began to come round within five minutes of receiving the nasal spray. He and a colleague stayed with her until paramedics arrived.

"Administering the Naloxone stopped her from going into cardiac arrest and potentially saved her life," Sgt Pickering said.

"I was really impressed by the response of Naloxone and it was very unintrusive as it works as a nasal spray."

The spray, which is being used by police forces across the UK, helps to reverse the effects of overdoses from drugs like heroin and morphine, as well as substances including methadone, fentanyl and Nitazenes.

It comes after there were a record 5,448 drug-related deaths in England and Wales in 2023.

Det Ch Insp Mark Oughton, of South Yorkshire Police, said: "As police officers, our overriding priority is to save and preserve lives, and Naloxone does just that.

"As shown by this incident, administering it buys crucial time for medical intervention by paramedics and hospital staff. Had Naloxone not been given to this woman when it was, she could have fallen into cardiac arrest."

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