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Calling 999: ambulance and police call-out survey

In August 2020, we tried to get a clearer picture of chemsex overdose situations and emergency service call-outs to improve our safer chemsex messaging and campaigning. This is a summary of the findings*. We have left the survey open and data was updated in January 2022.

Click here If you would like to take the short 2-minute survey which is anonymous.

• Gay men are less likely to call for an ambulance in overdose situations because they are fearful the police will turn up as well.
  35.1% Strongly agree; 37.8% Agree; 13.5% Uncertain; 13.5% Disagree
• How do you know gay men are less likely to call for an ambulance in overdose situations because they are fearful the police will turn up as well?
  29.4% personal experience; 47.1% heard stories/ word of mouth; 8.8% Just something I know; 14.5% other explanations
• In overdose situations when an ambulance AND the police have turned up …
  40% had direct experience; 48.6% had heard stories/ word of mouth; 11.6% other
• If someone overdoses on ‘G’ and is unconscious, what are you more likely to do if you cannot wake them?
  55.6% said to call 999; 41.7% said would let them sleep it off; 38.9% said would try first aid**
• If you were to call 999 for an ambulance, how likely do you think it is the police would turn up as well?
  38.9% very likely; 25% likely, 30.6% uncertain; 5.6% unlikely
• Where was your last chemsex experience?
  75% London; 15% England; 10% Other 
• Which chemsex drugs have you used?
  34 Crystal meth; 37 GHB or GBL; 18 Mephedrone; 10 Other drugs**

* Based on a total of 44 respondents, 97.6% of whom identified as gay / 2.4% whom identified as straight. Respondents were aged 20s: 7.1% | 30s; 42.9% | 40s: 28.6% | 50s: 19% | 60s 2.4%.
** Respondents were able to tick more than one option .