Dawn Marr has seen too much. The Aberdeen nurse knows the face of a mother who’s lost her son to a drug she’d never heard of. She’s treated the young person who overdosed at a party. She’s watched colleagues struggle with chronic pain.

And she’s had enough.

Speaking at a nursing conference this week, Marr didn’t mince words about the synthetic opioid crisis tearing through UK communities. While the government tracks supply chains, she said, it’s nurses like her picking up the pieces.

“We are the ones that see the faces behind the statistics,” Marr told delegates. “The truth is that while the UK Government is tracking their own supply, it is nursing staff that are left to deal with the human cost.”

The Numbers Paint a Grim Picture

More than 450 people have died from nitazenes-related overdoses since June 2023, according to the National Crime Agency. But for Marr, these aren’t just numbers on a government report.

They’re the middle-aged nurse battling addiction after an injury. The teenager who didn’t know what they were taking. The family torn apart by substances so new that parents don’t even know to warn their children about them.

“Synthetic opioids do not discriminate,” Marr said. “They affect people of all ages and all regions, across all demographics.”

The synthetic opioid crisis has caught many off guard. Drugs like nitazenes and fentanyl pack a deadlier punch than traditional opioids, with prevention efforts struggling to keep pace.

‘How Many of Us Have Seen This?’

Marr’s questions hit hard: “How many of us have treated someone experiencing opiate overdose? How many of us have seen the devastating impact on families and children, on our communities?”

For too many healthcare workers, the answer is simple: daily.

The government has rolled out prevention measures this year. Border Force dogs now train to sniff out nitazenes and fentanyl. Police officers learn to administer naloxone, the overdose-reversing drug. Officials banned xylazine – known as “tranq” – a veterinary sedative that’s been mixed with street drugs.

This week brought 12 new recommendations for local authorities, including faster testing when synthetic opioids are suspected and better data sharing between coroners, police, and health services.

‘Necessary Steps, But Not Enough’

Marr called these “necessary steps” but said they don’t go far enough. The synthetic opioid crisis demands more than supply-side prevention efforts, she argued.

“We need targeted education and training for every nurse to recognise and respond to synthetic opioid overdoses swiftly and effectively,” she said.

But it’s not just about medical training. Marr wants mental health resources for staff dealing with what she called “the trauma of these preventable deaths.”

She’s pushing for public awareness campaigns about synthetic opioid dangers, particularly newer substances like nitazenes that many people haven’t heard of. Research into the real impact on healthcare systems matters too.

The Royal College of Nursing backed her call, with members voting to lobby UK governments for a proper strategy on reducing opioid harms.

The Frontline Reality

Charles Yates from the National Crime Agency said tackling synthetic opioids is a “priority.” His agency works with police, Border Force, and international partners to stem supply.

But Marr’s message is clear: prevention efforts can’t just focus on stopping drugs at borders. Healthcare workers need support dealing with the crisis that’s already here.

“We need to engage in public awareness campaigns and educate our communities about the dangers of synthetic opiates,” she said. “We need to back research that captures the real impact of this crisis on our healthcare systems, our communities and our profession.”

Government Promises More Support

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson called Marr’s report “concerning” and promised NHS staff would get “timely access to support.”

Last year, the government expanded naloxone access, making it easier for services and professionals to provide the life-saving medication to at-risk people.

Officials say they’re monitoring the synthetic opioid crisis and playing a leading role in the cross-government Synthetic Opioids Taskforce.

‘We See the Faces’

For Marr, the synthetic opioid crisis isn’t about policy papers or supply chains. It’s about the human beings she sees every shift.

The young person who didn’t know they were gambling with their life. The parent who couldn’t save their child. The colleague struggling with pain and nowhere safe to turn.

“The crisis is UK-wide,” she said, “and that requires a co-ordinated response that brings together nursing professionals of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.”

Until then, nurses like Marr will keep doing what they’ve always done – picking up the pieces when prevention efforts fall short.

Source: dbrecoveryresources