United Kingdom: Opioid overdose reversal drug could be rolled out more widely in 2026

A new consultation on expanding access to naloxone—which reverses the effects of opioid overdoses—to homeless shelters and other key locations has been launched by the UK government.1 Part of the plan includes the installation of publicly accessible emergency boxes, similar to those containing defibrillator cabinets, in high streets and near nightlife venues. The move follows a naloxone emergency box pilot launched in 2024 in Aberdeen, Scotland, which operates through a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and NHS Grampian. The new plan would also allow supplies of naloxone to be delivered to emergency staff at organisations such as the Border Force, National Crime Agency, and laboratory testing facilities that may encounter synthetic opioids such as nitazenes as part of their work. The move is supported by St Mungo’s, a charity for people experiencing homelessness, which said that naloxone, an opioid agonist delivered as a spray or injection, was a vital lifesaving tool. Sean Palmer, its executive director of strategy and transformation, said, “At a time when opioid use and the risks associated with it are rising, naloxone is widely used across our services; our outreach teams never go out without it, and our colleagues are trained on how to respond to an opioid overdose and frequently save lives.”