A ground-breaking decision for paramedics not to call police to suspected drug overdoses in York and North Yorkshire has been hailed a success.

Just under six months after the new drugs protocol was introduced in the county, a review has labelled it an “emerging success”.

In a recent survey which formed part of the review, 89 per cent of drug and alcohol service users believed people would be more likely to call an ambulance in the event of a drugs overdose - meaning more lives could be saved.

The protocol was formally introduced on December 1, 2007, by the North Yorkshire Police and Ambulance Services, which joined forces with the North Yorkshire and City of York Drug and Alcohol Action Teams (DAAT) and other partners in an effort to reduce drug-related deaths.

Following the introduction of the new protocol, police are no longer routinely called by the ambulance service to attend suspected drug overdoses.

This is because drug users who overdose are often in the company of other users, family members or friends, who frequently delayed calling an ambulance because of their concern about police involvement. It meant treatment was often delayed for individuals who needed urgent help.

The new protocol was the brainchild of DC Paul Johnson, of North Yorkshire Police’s specialist drugs unit.

He said: “We went to a number of jobs where people had just been thrown in a back garden after an overdose and effectively left to die.

“It became clear that the people who had been with them at the time were people who were somewhat concerned about the police being involved.

“But our predominant concern is trying to reduce the number of drug deaths, and the recent assessment shows we have done that.”

The review also noted that the number of call-outs to overdoses rose by 57 between December, 2007, and March, 2008, in comparison to the same period last year. Police believe the rise is down to a rise in public awareness and confidence in contacting the emergency services.

Sue Maddison, the North Yorkshire and City of York Drugs and Alcohol Awareness Team (DAAT) co-ordinator, said:”This new protocol really demonstrates what innovative thinking and partnership working can achieve.

“The review of staff and service users has illustrated that the protocol is a success and has been widely publicised, which means more lives are being saved in our county. However there is still work to be done to raise awareness of the protocol amongst drug users and their families, and the review has produced some good ideas for how we can do this.”