COMMUNITIES in the Borders will come together this week to mark International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD) to remember those who have lost their lives to drug overdose.

On Thursday, August 31 community groups in the Borders will raise awareness of the services available to those struggling with drug use and their families.

The We Are With You service building and TD1 Youth Hub in Galashiels, as well as the Scottish Borders Council (SBC) HQ in Newtown St Boswells will be lit purple in honour of those who have lost their lives to overdose.

The We Are With You service will also host a drop-in event at its High Street base to pay their respects and access Naloxone – a medication which can temporarily reverse the effects of an opioid/opioid substitute overdose.

Recovery Coaching Scotland will be running a drop-in event outside Douglas Place, Galashiels, offering overdose information, Naloxone training, and Naloxone kits which are available to opiate/opiate substitute users and their family members aged over 16.

To date NHS Borders has supplied more than 2,172 Naloxone kits.

Dr Sohail Bhatti, Director of Public Health at NHS Borders and Chair of the Borders Alcohol and Drugs Partnership, said: “By coming together to remember those who have lost their lives, we stand together to say that more needs to be done to end overdose in our community.

“Our 2023 theme of ‘recognising those people who go unseen’ honours the people whose lives have been changed by overdose.

"This could be family and friends grieving the loss of a loved one, workers in healthcare and support services extending strength and compassion, or even the spontaneous first responders in our local community who selflessly assume the role of lifesaver.

“We encourage members of the public with lived experience to come to the events being held on International Overdose Awareness Day to stand in solidarity with other people who have been personally affected by overdose.”

Naloxone kits are issued following training on proper use.

NHS Borders and We Are With You both provide Naloxone kit training, and kits can be sourced from: Borders Addiction Service, We Are With You, Mental Health Services, Justice Social Work Services, Homeless and some community pharmacies.

In the absence of a Naloxone kit, should a person be found unresponsive, the signs of an overdose include: snoring, shallow breathing, pale skin, blue lips, and pinpoint pupils.

Then 999 should be called and the operator will provide instructions while you wait for an ambulance.

For more information on the range of support services available in the Borders and nationally, visit the NHS Borders website.