Tag: drug related deaths

Voice of the Voiceless: How we co-produced materials to help reduce stigma for people receiving opioid substitution therapy in pharmacies

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By Dr Vicky Carlisle, Research Fellow, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol

Voice of the Voiceless is a collaboration between people who receive opioid substitution therapy (OST) for opioid dependence, University of Bristol academics (Dr Vicky Carlisle, Dr Adam Holland, Dr Jenny Scott), Bristol City Council (Ashley Ward), Bristol Drugs Project (Lydia Plant, Lianna Telfer), Developing Health & Independence (Nick Booth), and Harm Reduction Mothers2Mothers (Anna Millington). In 2024 we worked together with a graphic designer to co-produce a booklet that aims to: reduce stigma for people who receive opioid substitution treatment; empower them in their interactions in pharmacies; and foster mutual compassion and respect between pharmacy staff and people who receive OST.

Why stigma and why pharmacies?

OST (with methadone or buprenorphine) is prescribed for opioid dependence. Broadly, the aim is to provide individuals with stability  and relief from withdrawal symptoms, and to reduce reliance … Read more

Understanding the lethal interactions between benzodiazepines and opioids to develop new harm reduction strategies

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By Dr Jo Kesten

A multidisciplinary project to understand why taking benzodiazepines or z-drugs and opioids together leads to so many deaths, brought together qualitative researchers with other specialists. One paper from the study has now been published in the Harm Reduction Journal, a pre-print for another paper is available and a third is underway. Here the qualitative team discuss their findings.

The number of people dying because of drugs is rising in the UK, especially in Scotland. Many of these deaths involve a combination of opioids (heroin or methadone) and benzodiazepines or z-drugs (sedatives often used to treat anxiety and insomnia), which are either prescribed or obtained illegally.

We set out to understand how benzodiazepines or z-drugs and opioids work together and why this makes a fatal overdose more likely. We aimed to achieve this first by talking to people about their use of benzodiazepines or z-drugs and … Read more

From the laboratory to the street: doing multidisciplinary research to understand the rising numbers of deaths involving opioids and benzodiazepines

Posted on by capcbristol

A University of Bristol multidisciplinary team from Bristol and Bath University has been working to understand the increase in deaths from taking both opioids and benzodiazepines (benzos). Here they reflect on how this approach has enhanced their research and made it more useful.

The problem

Drug use is a leading cause of premature death in many countries. Such deaths are increasing.

There are many reasons for this increase, including changes in the types of people who use drugs, and the rise in the use of fentanyls and other synthetic opioids.

Taking more than one drug at a time is another cause. For example, taking benzodiazepine (diazepam, etizolam, bromazolam) or z-drugs (zolpidem, zopiclone) along with opioids (heroin, methadone, buprenorphine) increases the chances of overdose and death.

Although many epidemiological and post-mortem studies have identified this risk, we still don’t know why combining these drugs increases mortality.

As a team our expertise … Read more