28 August 2024
On International Overdose Awareness Day, local man Alan Dobson is sharing an important message: there is life after experiencing challenges with drugs and alcohol.
Alan, who had his first drink at eight years of age and later became dependent on heroin, now works for local drug and alcohol service, WithYou in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole.
To honour all those who’ve lost their lives to drug overdoses, Alan is speaking up about his own experiences to raise awareness of the drug and alcohol support available across the county. He says:
“For as long as I can remember, I used alcohol and drugs as a way to process my traumas. My mum died when I was in my early 20s, and that’s what eventually led me to heroin. From that point onwards, my life changed hugely.
“It was like I was living in a horror movie. My life was like this huge, dark void. I used drugs as a way to fill the emptiness that I felt and I was constantly in and out of prison, as I’d commit petty crimes to pay for my habit.
“I just didn’t realise that there was a solution, a way out. But there is a way out - and I want anyone who’s struggling with drugs or alcohol to know that WithYou in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole can be that solution.
“My life is so different now. I spend time with my wife and son. I go for walks, enjoy photography, and see my friends. I never thought that I deserved to feel the happiness that I do now, and so this week, as I remember the friends that I’ve lost to overdoses over the years, to honour them, I want to celebrate the life that I’ve learnt to live. I want to tell people that it is possible to live a life - a happy, fulfilling and rich life - after all the years of darkness.”
Between 2022 and 2023, there were 45 drug related deaths across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole. This is an increase on the previous two years (38 and 36 respectively), and reflects the figures seen nationally, with 2022-2023 having the highest number of deaths since records began in 1993.
Reflecting on the importance of knowing how to help someone if they overdose, Alan is also highlighting how anyone can help to save a life by calling 999 and using naloxone, which is a medicine which temporarily reverses the effects of opioid drugs like heroin, methadone, fentanyl and nitazenes.
Talking about naloxone, Alan says:
“It’s really important that anyone carrying naloxone and who is witnessing an overdose feels confident using it. Naloxone temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and this can be enough to save someone’s life.
“Naloxone also works on synthetic opioids like nitazenes and fentanyl. This is especially important, as we’re seeing an increasing number of illicit drugs being contaminated with synthetic opioids across the UK. This means that if you think someone has overdosed and you’re not sure what they’ve taken, you should use naloxone, especially because naloxone will not cause harm to a person who hasn’t used opioids.
“The more people who carry and know how to use naloxone, the more we can prevent people dying from overdoses.”
WithYou in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole offers free and confidential support service to adults, young people and families struggling with drug or alcohol challenges. Get in touch by calling 01202 558855, seeing us in our Bournemouth, Christchurch, Poole or Boscombe offices, or using our free webchat service, which is available at: wearewithyou.org.uk.