A South Wales woman who found herself caught up in the county drugs line and was close to losing her life through a heroin overdose has been given a second chance thanks to the actions of on-duty police officer Kyle Scott.

The life-saving drug antidote Nasal Naloxone was administered to the woman by PC Kyle Scott who this week was named as the first South Wales officer to use it.

The woman, who hasn’t been named by police, was discovered during a ‘cuckoo watch’ operation where officers were investigating people who may have found themselves caught up in the county drugs line. She was unresponsive from a suspected overdose.

After one dose of Naloxone the woman revived and remained alert until paramedics were able to reach her and provide her with further medical care.

The investigation led to the arrest, charge and remand of a 21-year-old man from Birmingham for Class A trafficking offences.

“The impact of drugs on those who sadly struggle with substance misuse is enormous, which is why we are working tirelessly to tackle the problem in a number of different ways,” commented police and crime commissioner Alun Michael.

“ It’s important to remember that those struggling with addiction are often victims themselves, which is why it’s so important to intervene at the earliest opportunity, offer effective support and endeavour to break the cycle of harm.

“The swift actions of PC Scott serve to illustrate that police officers are often first on the scene of potentially life-threatening situations and I am extremely pleased that he was trained and equipped to use Naloxone, preventing what could otherwise have been a much more serious incident.”

Naloxone has been funded by the Welsh government since 2009 and is seen as a key part of police work in reducing the harms associated with substance abuse.

“The news of someone’s life being saved is exactly the reason why we continue to make these investments and highlights why it’s important police carry naloxone to further assist in reducing drug related deaths in Wales,” said deputy minister for mental health and wellbeing, Lynne Neagle. “I want to pay tribute to PC Kyle Scott and his colleagues for their swift action.”