Training heroin users to save their friends

Home > People Fixing the World > Training heroin users to save their friends

Training heroin users to save their friends
People Fixing the World
Nov 7, 2023

Heroin users in Scotland are being trained to spot when someone is about to overdose and to step in and help.

The training – which includes lessons on how to use the antidote naloxone - is often led by people who have themselves been addicts.

Taxi drivers and police officers are also being trained, and naloxone being widely distributed, as part of a push to save as many lives as possible.

Reporter Craig Langran investigates whether the approach is working.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Craig Langran Series producer: Tom Colls Sound mix: Annie Gardiner and Hal Haines Editor: Penny Murphy

Email: [email protected]

Image: Wez, who trains heroin users how to administer naloxone

Next episode

More Episodes

Jun 30, 2026
Living longer, living better

In Bergen, Norway, a two-day ageing festival is testing out new ways to build an age-friendly society—through culture, conversation and shared experiences. Myra Anubi joins in, meeting the people finding creative answers to loneliness, mental health, care and belonging, and hearing hopes for a future where generations mix rather than separate. From masterclasses to inspiring collective events, the festival’s aim is to make ageing something we can all become more comfortable with and even celebrate.

People Fixing The World from the BBC is about brilliant solutions to the world's problems. We release a new edition every Tuesday. We'd love you to let us know what you think and to hear about your own solutions. You can contact us on WhatsApp by messaging +44 8000 321721 or email [email protected]. And please leave us a review on your chosen podcast provider.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer: Alex Collins Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: A group of revellers at the Generation ageing festival in Bergen, Alex Collins/BBC)

26min 24sec

Jun 23, 2026
Freeing modern slaves

People trafficking is a crime that often takes place in plain sight - victims are often exploited and controlled in everyday situations. It’s also a crime that touches all of us - the food we eat, the phones we use, the clothes we wear, may all have been produced using slave labour. We’ll hear about ways to break the cycle of trafficking. In the US we take a ride with Truckers Against Trafficking, an NGO that trains truck drivers to look out for vulnerable people who may be being trafficked for forced labour, including sex work. And in Nepal we meet SASANE, the organisation training survivors of trafficking to become paralegals - to provide them with a new career and also help encourage others to pursue justice through these fellow legally-trained survivors.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Producer/reporter: Claire Bowes US reporter: Frank Morris Nepal reporter: Chhavi Sachdev Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Truck driver Bob Bramwell of ABF Freight, Frank Morris/BBC)

Show less Release date:23 June 2026 23 minutes

23min 25sec

Jun 16, 2026
Snakebite solutions

Snakebite kills tens of thousands of people every year, many of them in rural communities where treatment can be delayed, expensive or difficult to reach. In southern Nepal, reporter Craig Langran joins a community organiser responding to snake rescue calls and teaching villagers what to do when snakes appear near their homes. And in a laboratory at Monash University in Malaysia, researchers are working on broader antivenoms that could reduce the guesswork doctors face when a patient arrives after a bite.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Craig Langran Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Andrew Mills

(Image: Subodh Acharya catches snakes in southern Nepal, Craig Langran/BBC)

23min 25sec

Jun 9, 2026
Ending violence against women

Sexual and gender-based violence remains a reality for many women. In this programme we go to Rwanda to meet survivors who are beginning to find their voice after years of silence. We follow projects led by the development charity Tearfund and meet Sabine Nkusi, the organisation's lead on the prevention of sexual and gender-based violence. They are projects that create safe spaces for women who have experienced SGBV, while also engaging men and religious leaders in challenging ingrained beliefs.

Presenter: Myra Anubi Reporter/producer: Naomi Wellings Editor: Jon Bithrey Sound mix: Hal Haines

(Image: Sabine Nkusi of Tearfund, credit: Kevine Uwase/Tearfund)

23min 14sec

Training heroin users to save their friends

--:--