Emergency and urgent help
If you need help now
If someone's life may be at risk, call 999. You will not get anyone into trouble by calling for medical help — ambulance crews are there to keep people alive.
Suspected overdose
How to respond to a suspected overdose
Signs can include unresponsiveness, slow or noisy breathing, blue or grey lips, cold clammy skin, or a person who cannot be woken.
- 1Call 999 immediately and say what has been taken, if you know.
- 2Stay with the person. Do not leave them alone to 'sleep it off'.
- 3If they are unresponsive but breathing, place them on their side in the recovery position.
- 4If they are not breathing normally, follow the 999 call handler's instructions.
- 5If naloxone is available and opioids may be involved, use it as trained and still call 999.
- 6Keep them warm, keep talking to them, and stay until help arrives.
Verified support routes
UK numbers and services
Only widely published UK routes taken from official organisations are listed here. Where a phone number is not shown, use the organisation's website for current contact details.
Emergency
- Emergency
Emergency services
999Call 999 if someone is unconscious, having difficulty breathing, may have overdosed, or is in immediate danger.
Urgent
- Urgent
NHS 111
111Urgent medical advice when it is not a life-threatening emergency. Available online and by phone in the UK.
Visit official website ↗
Confidential support
- Confidential support
Talk to FRANK
The UK government's drug information service, with confidential contact routes and A–Z drug information.
Visit official website ↗ - Confidential support
Samaritans
Confidential emotional support for anyone in distress, including people struggling to cope.
Visit official website ↗ - Confidential support
Adfam
Support and information for families affected by someone else's drug or alcohol use.
Visit official website ↗ - Confidential support
Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs
Support for families in Scotland affected by alcohol and drug use.
Visit official website ↗ - Confidential support
Release
UK centre of expertise on drugs and drug law, offering free legal advice.
Visit official website ↗
Treatment services
- Treatment services
NHS — Find a drug addiction support service
NHS service finder for drug treatment and support services.
Visit official website ↗ - Treatment services
We Are With You
UK charity providing free, confidential drug, alcohol and mental health support in local services and online.
Visit official website ↗ - Treatment services
Turning Point
Health and social care organisation providing substance use services in England.
Visit official website ↗
Non-urgent
- Non-urgent
NHS — Alcohol support
NHS information on alcohol, dependence and how to find alcohol treatment services.
Visit official website ↗ - Non-urgent
Alcoholics Anonymous Great Britain
Peer-led mutual aid fellowship for people who want to stop drinking.
Visit official website ↗ - Non-urgent
Narcotics Anonymous UK
Peer-led mutual aid fellowship for people recovering from drug use.
Visit official website ↗ - Non-urgent
SMART Recovery UK
Mutual-aid meetings using a structured, evidence-informed self-help approach.
Visit official website ↗
Not an emergency?
Other ways to get support
You don't have to be in crisis to ask for help, and you don't have to be ready to stop using.