The ‘Don’t Ignore the Snore’ campaign will run for the first two weeks of December across Middlesbrough, Stockton and Redcar and Cleveland.
It is delivered jointly by local drug and alcohol treatment services. They include Change Grow Live in Stockton on Tees, With You in Redcar and Cleveland, ACT – Recovery Solutions in Middlesbrough, and North East lived experience recovery organisation, Recovery Connections.
Dan Gallagher, Tees-wide Drug and Alcohol Death Prevention Lead, said the growing presence of illicit tablets in the local area and rise of synthetic opioids meant the risk of overdose was high.
He said: “If you know someone who consumes illicit drugs, snoring may not be harmless. It can be a sign that someone is struggling to breathe.
“Loved ones and carers are being urged to contact their local drug and alcohol services for support and training on how to spot the signs of overdose. They can also receive free training and Naloxone kits and to keep at home.”
The campaign encourages people across Teesside to:
• Recognise the signs of a drug-related overdose, including snoring,
gurgling, or shallow breathing
• Educate themselves about how to respond in an emergency
• Respond by checking the person, calling 999, and using Naloxone if
available.
To raise awareness, a bed installation will appear in town centres during the campaign.
The installation makes clear the fine line between rest and risk when someone uses substances and aims to start important conversations about overdose awareness and prevention.
Each bed will feature messages of hope from people with lived experience including a QR code linking to the snoring campaign video.
Throughout the campaign, harm reduction teams from partner services in Teesside will be delivering free Naloxone and overdose prevention training, helping local communities to act quickly and save lives.
Teesside residents can register for free overdose and Naloxone training by contacting their local drug and alcohol treatment services:
• Change Grow Live - Stockton
• With You – Redcar and Cleveland
• ACT - Middlesbrough
• Recovery Connections.
