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6 June 2008
NEW NHS DRUGS ADVICE FOR NIGHTCLUBS
UPFRONT, news, night online, COMMENTS
NHS specialists are offering nightclub operators and staff guidance on intervention and medical care for suspected drug abusers.
The advice, co-written by doctors, police officers and bar owners, appears in the journal Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention and Policy.
The advice will be made available to club owners via agencies such as the London Drug Policy Forum, who will publish the guidance in the next edition of its "Safer Nightlife" booklet for clubs and club staff.
A spokesman for London Drug Policy Forum said: "The fact is that people do take drugs when they go clubbing, and we all need to work together to keep them as safe as possible."
The guidance provides both anecdotal evidence, medical information and practical guidance including a checklist of symptoms to help staff spot potential problems and information on the use of designated ‘medical rooms’ where people who have fallen ill while on the premises can be treated.
Guidance author Dr David Wood, from the Poisons Unit at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust said that he wanted to work to improve the care of clubbers before they reached hospital, including extra training for club first-aid staff.
Their guidance advised "club medics" to call for an ambulance if the patient showed signs of a long list of symptoms, including being unresponsive, having chest pain similar to a heart attack, or high blood pressure.
It urged them to make the call if they were in any doubt about the condition of a clubber.
Dr Wood told the BBC: "The guidelines are designed to ensure that individuals with a significant toxicity in these categories are easily identified and that an ambulance is called so they receive appropriate and timely assessment and management in a hospital environment.
"In the past, club owners and promoters have been reluctant to call an ambulance because of concerns this could affect their licence."
From: Night Online
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Related Links:
www.substanceabusepolicy.com
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