Charity issues advice after reports of contaminated heroin circulating in Kettering

A charity which supports people with substance misuse has issued advice following reports of contaminated drugs circulating in Kettering.

Change Grow Live has released some guidance after Northants Police seized a suspected batch of contaminated heroin which is believed to have been circulating in the Kettering area and may be connected to overdoses, as reported by the Northants Telegraph yesterday.

The charity’s services are available across Northamptonshire and they can offer support, advice, treatment and naloxone kits.

Anyone wanting help can call 0808 1698512.

In light of the suspected batch of contaminated drugs, Change Grow Live has suggested the following precautionary advice:

- The only way to avoid all the risks is to not take drugs which are not prescribed for you. However, if you do choose to take them, please bear in mind the following points for safer use

- Be extra cautious about the sources from which you get your drugs and about the drugs you are taking; maybe starting with just a quarter of a new supply, go low and slow

- Do not use alone; make sure that someone you trust is present and equipped with a couple of naloxone kits

- If using with others, it’s best if only one person uses the drug first and uses less as a test dose

- Watch others carefully for the signs of an overdose, eg loss of consciousness, shallow or absent breathing, ‘snoring’ or loud ‘rasping’, and/or blue lips or fingertips

- Be prepared to call immediately for an ambulance if someone overdoses and administer naloxone if available

- Make sure there is sufficient naloxone available. More doses of naloxone may be needed to recover from an opiate overdose especially if it contains Fentanyl

- Contact the service for any further advice, support or if you would like to be trained to administer Naloxone, this is available to anyone who needs it

For more details about Change Grow Live and its services, visit the website.

Anyone with any information, or concerns about drugs in their community, should call police officers on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.