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Calling 999: ambulance and police call-out survey

We are trying to get a clearer picture of chemsex overdose situations and emergency service call-outs to improve our safer chemsex messaging and campaigning.

This is an ongoing survey, a snapshot, launched in August 2020. Click here If you would like to take the short 2-minute survey which is anonymous.

This is a summary of the findings* to date (12-11-20) which we update regularly:

• Gay men are less likely to call for an ambulance in overdose situations because they are fearful the police will turn up as well.
  38.2% Strongly agree; 35.3% Agree; 11.8% Uncertain; 14.7% 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?
  32.3% personal experience; 41.9% heard stories/ word of mouth; 9.7% Just something I know; 16.1% other explanations
• In overdose situations when an ambulance AND the police have turned up …
  40.6% had direct experience; 50% had heard stories/ word of mouth; 9.4% other
• If someone overdoses on ‘G’ and is unconscious, what are you more likely to do if you cannot wake them?
  54.5% said to call 999; 45.5% said would let them sleep it off; 36.4% 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?
  42.4% very likely; 24.2% likely, 30.3% uncertain; 3% unlikely
• Where was your last chemsex experience?
  73% London; 16.2% England; 2.7% Wales; 8.1% Other
• Which chemsex drugs have you used?
  83.8% Crystal meth; 94.6% GHB or GBL; 43.2% Mephedrone; 27% Other drugs**

* Based on a total of 41 respondents, 100% of whom identified as gay. 97.4% of respondents were aged 20s-50s.
** Respondents were able to tick more than one option .