First aid courses for people using intoxicants shows need to learn helping skills – more than 500 people have participated in Red Cross courses

Since 2023, the Finnish Red Cross has offered first aid courses tailored to those using intoxicants. The free-of-charge training that lasts a couple of hours includes learning how to help someone who is unconscious, stop bleeding with temporary tools, identify and prevent death due to drug use and call for help.

The objective of targeted first aid training is to reduce the number of deaths caused by narcotics poisoning, the number of which has increased in Finland. Ninety per cent of those who participated in the training and provided feedback say that they know how to prevent deaths due to poisoning and drug-related harm better than before. Of participants, 94% know how to place someone in the recovery position and 89% know how to and are confident enough to call for help. 

“The numbers speak for the efficiency of the training, but also the fact that participants probably had no practical first aid skills to speak of previously. Many of the people we talk to also wonder whether they would have been able to prevent the death of their friend or loved one, if they had been able to be on top of the situation or call for help in time,” says Health Promotion Planning Officer Kati Laitila from the Finnish Red Cross.

Many wonder whether they would have been able to prevent the death of their friend or loved one

The training has been developed based on the participants' wishes. Over the past year, the Red Cross has added information on helping people who are having convulsions and preventing sexual abuse to the training.

The Finnish Red Cross has organised more than 50 first aid courses tailored to people using intoxicants since the end of 2023. A total of nearly 550 people have participated in them. The training sessions held by volunteers are organised at housing units and meeting places for substance users.

Participants have personal experiences of emergencies

Contrary to popular belief, people dying as a result of intoxicants are not alone, but in the company of others. However, deaths are often detected up to 24 hours after the life is lost. People taking part in tailored first aid training are the people that are there when the life-threatening situation occurs. It is important that they are aware of the situation, try to wake the person up that has passed out, provide first aid and call emergency medical care, if necessary.

“The willingness of the participants to learn and help is clearly reflected in the training. In contrast to conventional first aid training, where participants prepare for the possibility of something happening, here, participants prepare for the eventuality when something happens. The situations they encounter in daily life are often serious and even traumatic. Very many of the participants have e.g. been involved in resuscitating someone,” Laitila says.

Previously encountered situations are reviewed through discussion during the training. If necessary, people are referred to further help.

New volunteer trainers needed

First aid courses for people using intoxicants have thus far been organised in Satakunta, Southwest Finland, Savo-Karelia and Southeast Finland. The Red Cross is currently launching the training in Rovaniemi and Tampere.

Trained Red Cross volunteers serve as trainers. A housing unit instructor who the participants know is usually also involved in the low-threshold training.

According to Kati Laitila, the training has been very popular. The Red Cross constantly needs new trainers all over Finland. Trainers should first and foremost have excellent interaction skills and flexibility, and it would not hurt to know something about the lives of people who use intoxicants and basic first aid skills. The Red Cross will train the volunteers.

“We are especially pleased with how the participants approach the trainers. Many are familiar with the Red Cross as a humanitarian actor, and the interactive training offered by the volunteers has been found to be an easy way to learn how to help,” Laitila says.