Overdose & Narcan (Naloxone)

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Types of Overdose

Great question, because the response looks very different.

Opioid Overdose Signs (e.g., fentanyl, heroin, oxy, etc.):

• Slow, shallow, or no breathing
• Blue or gray lips and fingertips, also called cyanosis
  • Cyanosis can look different depending on a person’s skin tone. 
Appearance can range from blue to ashy grey.
• Gurgling/snoring sounds
• Unresponsive to shouting or sternum rub
• Pupils may appear tiny

GHB Overdose Signs (or G overdose, aka “G’d out”):

• Sudden unconsciousness
• Confusion or seizure-like movements
• Vomiting while unconscious
• Rapid breathing or heart rate (please note a person's heart rate may not always be slow)
• May look like they're in a deep sleep but hard to wake up, (unconscious but still breathing)

What To Do

• If you’re unsure of what the person took, give Naloxone (Narcan) anyway. It only works on opioids and won’t harm someone if opioids aren’t involved.
• Do NOT give stimulants (like meth or coke) to try and "wake someone up."
• Roll them on their side (recovery position) if they’re breathing and unresponsive.
• If they aren’t breathing, administer rescue breaths.
• Pinch the person’s nose.
• Cover their mouth with your mouth.
• Blow a strong and steady breath into their mouth for about 1 second. Make sure their chest rises.
• Continue giving breaths until help arrives. “A breath for them, a breath for you.”

Call emergency services and say someone is unconscious and not breathing.

Why Should I Carry Narcan (Naloxone)?

Because fentanyl shows up where you don’t expect it. Even if you don’t use opioids, you might care about people who do, or unknowingly use drugs that have been cross contaminated with them.

Here’s why carrying Narcan matters:

• Fentanyl has been found in coke, ketamine, MDMA, meth, and pressed pills. https://nopn.org/resources/chri-point-in-time-survey-results
• It takes just seconds to reverse an overdose.
• You could save the life of a friend, stranger, or community member.
• While there is no federal standing order for naloxone, all 50 states have laws that allow individuals to access naloxone. Some states have Good Samaritan overdose prevention laws that protect you from criminal charges if you administer naloxone to someone who is overdosing. Find out the laws in your state at this website: https://www.safeproject.us/naloxone/state-rules/ 

Learn more about Good Samaritan laws in your state here: https://www.safeproject.us/good-samaritan-laws/