The Health Minister Leo Varadkar has given the go-ahead for relatives and friends of heroin addicts to be allowed to administer a life-saving injection if they overdose.
Training is already underway for volunteers to recognise signs of overdose and, in cases of emergency, to give Naloxone, using pre-filled syringes.
It is the first time non-medical personnel are being instructed by the HSE in how to administer the antidote.
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Mobilisation Officer with Dublin Fire Brigade Paul Elebert explains how it works, but stresses the injection is only a temporary measure when someone overdoses:
