When opioid levels are too high, they essentially send a signal to the brain to stop breathing, which, if left untreated, can lead to a person falling unconscious and potentially dying. Hidden in these national statistics are stories of individual people. Researchers mixing alcohol and hallucinogens are still struggling to understand how lifestyle factors, such as prior drug use and stress, as well as genetics and other risk factors, might make people more likely to overdose on these deadly drugs. Taking too many pills may lead to an overdose in some people.
Individuals experiencing a stimulant overdose should stay hydrated and cool. If they begin to have a seizure, ensure no harmful objects are close to them. If you think someone you love may be using or misusing opioids, talk to your loved one about the dangers of opioids and try to connect them to medical resources. If you take a prescription opioid, it’s important to teach your family and friends how to respond to an overdose. Store the opioids safely where children and others can’t find or access them.
Inhaling or injecting drugs may cause them to get to your brain more quickly and also increases your chance of using an amount that can severely harm you. People experiencing an opioid overdose need naloxone (commonly known by the brand name Narcan®). Naloxone can reverse the effects of an overdose if it’s given to the person quickly. The person will still need medical attention after the administration of naloxone. WHO recommends that naloxone be made available to people likely to witness an opioid overdose, as well as training in the management of opioid overdose.
Opioids present in many deaths involving other drugs
In 2019, drug overdose deaths totaled 70,630, an increase of 4.8% from 67,367 in 2018 (1,2). Since 2009, an increasing proportion of drug overdose deaths have been caused by opioids, which accounted detox for 70.6% of all drug overdose deaths in 2019. The increased involvement of cocaine and psychostimulants with abuse potential has also been noted in drug overdose deaths in recent years (3,4).
Recognizing the symptoms of a drug overdose is crucial to treating this reaction. Providing supportive care, administering medication such as naloxone, and calling 911 can all help treat certain types of drug overdose. Anyone experiencing a substance use disorder should seek treatment to address their symptoms. Treatment may involve therapy, certain medications, or rehabilitation programs.
What are the risk factors for drug overdose?
Opioid receptors are found in tissues, organs and muscles throughout the body. Of course, moderating the consumption of alcohol and other substances can be challenging for individuals with a substance use disorder. This chronic condition involves the ongoing overuse of a substance.
WHO also issues normative guidance to promote the appropriate use of opioids for pain and palliative care. Appropriate use and regulation of opioid analgesics ensures that they are available where needed whilst preventing their diversion and harm related to misuse. Only half of countries provide access to effective treatment options for opioid dependence and less than 10% of people worldwide in need of such treatment are receiving it (5).
- The leading cause of drug overdoses today is opioid medications.
- Alternatively, if they have lost consciousness, an individual can place them in the recovery position.
- A person experiencing an opioid overdose needs naloxone and immediate medical care to prevent death.
- New York Mayor, Michael Bloomberg, introduced new emergency room guidelines to prevent opioid prescription painkiller abuse in January 2013.
- If you misuse drugs, quitting is the best way for you to prevent a drug overdose.
- Opioids have analgesic and sedative effects, and such medicines as morphine, codeine and fentanyl are commonly used for the management of pain.
“Opioids kill people by slowing the rate of breathing and the depth of breathing,” says medical toxicologist and emergency physician Andrew Stolbach of Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The appropriate number of pills depends on the person and their medication. After calling 911, stay with the individual experiencing an alcohol overdose.
Do not share a prescription or take medications prescribed to another individual. A drug overdose means that an individual has consumed a toxic amount of a substance. According to the National Harm Reduction Coalition, ingesting too much of one or multiple drugs can harm the body. A drug overdose may occur when an individual consumes too much of a substance. Opioids, stimulants, and other substances can all cause an overdose.
“This analysis confirms the predominant role opioid analgesics play in pharmaceutical overdose deaths, either alone or in combination with other drugs. It also, however, highlights the frequent involvement of drugs typically prescribed for mental health conditions such as benzodiazepines, antidepressants, and antipsychotics in overdose deaths. People with mental health disorders are at increased risk for heavy therapeutic use, nonmedical use, and overdose of opioids. To prevent an overdose, follow a doctor’s directions for all prescription medications. With the right care and prevention strategies, it is possible to treat drug overdoses or prevent them altogether. Although many drug overdoses involve the use of illegal drugs, it is also possible to overdose on prescription medication.
Responding quickly can help prevent serious health consequences. You should seek medical help immediately if you have these symptoms or witness them in someone else and suspect they may have overdosed. The most obvious way to tell if these symptoms indicate overdose is if you know you have taken drugs or have seen someone else take drugs. Getting medical help quickly can make a big difference in the effectiveness of drug overdose treatment.
Age-adjusted drug overdose death rates were higher among males than females from 2009 to 2019.
They also perform other tests to assess the health of the person and to look for possible complications. Anyone who uses opioids could potentially experience an opioid overdose. Overdoses can happen to people during their first time using opioids, to people who’ve taken them multiple times or to people who have opioid use disorder.
A person experiencing an opioid overdose needs naloxone and immediate medical care to prevent death. In 2021, 81.9% of all drug overdose deaths stemmed from opioids with synthetic fentanyl, a critical player. It can be difficult for people who use opioids or other substances to know what to expect when using nonmedical forms of opioids.
The severity of a drug overdose depends on the drug, the amount taken, and the physical and medical history of the person who overdosed. It can be difficult to prevent an opioid overdose because you may not know the potency of the substances you’re using. While North America currently has the highest rate of opioid overdoses in the world, opioid overdose continues to be a global issue.
People who have had at least one overdose are more likely to have another. If a person who has had an overdose is seen in the ED, there is an opportunity to help prevent a repeat overdose by linking an individual to care that can improve their health outcomes. Policy change is necessary to increase access to drug treatment programs, ensure ecstasy mdma: uses effects risks healthcare professionals have the tools they need to aid people, and help lower the number of deaths from opioid use. Consider talking with a healthcare professional or pharmacist to understand any potential additional risk factors for overdose. But the system primarily affected by an opioid overdose is the respiratory system.
Risk factors
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, which means it attaches to opioid receptors in your body and reverses and blocks the effects of opioids already in your system. Naloxone can restore normal breathing within two to five minutes to a person who’s experiencing an opioid overdose. Using any kind of opioid has the potential to result in opioid overdose, whether it’s a prescription or nonprescription opioid. About 75% of opioid overdoses are due to nonmedical use of synthetic opioids — mainly forms of nonmedical fentanyl. An opioid overdose happens when opioids negatively affect the part of your brain that regulates breathing, resulting in ineffective breathing.
