CASE STUDY | Dangers of drugs and life saving first aid

During a group session, young people were discussing an incident that had occurred one evening in a park. One of the young people had become unconscious due to taking alcohol and drugs. The young people told us how frightening the situation was and they panicked and had tried to put their friend into the recovery position and rang for an ambulance.

The Intervention

• After discussions with staff around keeping themselves and others safe while they are out, dangers of drugs and alcohol etc, young people asked if they could have further knowledge of First Aid. Staff set up for someone to come in to educate the group on First Aid.
• Coates Training came in to deliver Emergency First Aid Training to the young people who also received a certificate.
• The training included emergency first aid procedures, dealing with an unconscious casualty, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, learning the recovery position, treatment of bleeding, head and spinal issues and putting real life situations of alcohol and substance misuse into practice.

Outcomes

• As a result of this training, all young people walked away with an Emergency First Aid Training certificate.
• Young people felt confident how to put someone in the recovery position if the situation was ever put to them.
• Young people learnt more in depth about alcohol and substance misuse and the harm it can do to themselves and friends.

“Learning about first aid was interesting, the man running it made it fun and it made sense for me to do it as I have experienced my friends being sick and needing to be in the recovery position from drinking” 

YP Quote