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Snapshot survey: calling 999 for ambulance and police call-outs

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 the data was updated in March 2024.

Click here if you would like to take the short 2-minute anonymous survey.

• Gay men are less likely to call for an ambulance in overdose situations because they are fearful the police will turn up as well.
  36.81% Strongly agree; 36.8% Agree; 13.2% Uncertain; 13.2% 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?
  31.4% personal experience; 45.7% heard stories/ word of mouth; 8.6% Just something I know; 14.3% other explanations
• In overdose situations, when an ambulance AND the police have turned up …
  38.9% had direct experience; 50% had heard stories/ word of mouth; 11.16% other
• If someone overdoses on ‘G’ and is unconscious, what are you more likely to do if you cannot wake them?
  54.1% said to call 999; 43.2% said they would let them sleep it off; 37.8% said they 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?
  40.5% very likely; 24.3% likely, 29.7% uncertain; 5.5% unlikely
• Where was your last chemsex experience?
  73.2% London; 17.1% England; 9.7% Other 
• Which chemsex drugs have you used?
  85.4% Crystal meth; 92.7% GHB or GBL; 43.9% Mephedrone; **

* Based on a total of 45 respondents, 97.6% of whom identified as gay / 2.4% 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.