Witnessing an overdose is scary, and it may leave you feeling panicked about how to handle the situation best. Taking the right steps at the right time can help reduce the person’s risk of death or other serious health outcomes.

This guide covers the symptoms of an overdose, how to respond to an overdose, and what NOT to do when you witness an overdose to help someone achieve the best outcomes.

What Is a Drug Overdose?

A drug overdose occurs when a person has a toxic level of a drug in their system. This involves taking more than the recommended amount of a drug, which can happen deliberately or by accident. 

An overdose can lead to life-threatening symptoms, which is why it’s critical to know how to respond if you witness an overdose. Overdoses can be caused by many different drugs but are most commonly linked to opioids. 

Risk Factors for a Drug Overdose

Some people are more likely to suffer from a drug overdose than others. Knowing who is most at risk can help you more easily identify an overdose.

Risk factors for overdosing on opioids include:

• Having a substance use disorder, such as an opioid use disorder (OUD)
• Using prescription opioids without medical supervision
• Resuming the use of substances after a period of abstinence, such as following medical detox or treatment
• Having a prescription for a high dosage of an addictive drug
• Using opioids alongside other substances that can affect your respiratory function, such as alcohol 
• Taking opioids by injection

How to Recognize an Overdose: Signs & Symptoms

The earlier you recognize an overdose, the earlier you can help the person who is overdosing and call for medical help. 

Sometimes, it can be hard to tell whether someone is overdosing or just really high. Signs that can help you distinguish a drug overdose include:

• Loss of consciousness
• Shallow, slow, or stopped breathing
• Vomiting
• Choking or gurgling sounds
• Skin tones that look blue, purple, or gray
• A pale face
• A lack of response to outside stimuli
• When someone is awake but can’t speak
• A slow or erratic pulse

If you see someone experiencing these symptoms, call 911 right away. 

What to Do if Someone Is Having an Overdose

Properly responding to a drug overdose involves a combination of actions, including calling for help, supporting their breathing, administering Naloxone, and staying with the person until medical personnel arrive.

Here are a few life-saving steps you can take to respond to an overdose.

Call 911

A drug overdose requires immediate medical attention from trained professionals. Call 911 right away if you suspect someone may have overdosed. All you have to say is that someone is unresponsive or not breathing. 

Make sure to give them a clear description of your location, including an exact address when possible.

Support Their Breathing

If the person is not breathing, perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (also called rescue breathing) by blowing air into their lungs. Follow these steps:

• Turn the person onto their back
• Tip their head back to straighten out their airway
• Pinch their nose
• Create a seal between your mouth and theirs
• Slowly blow air into their mouth once every five seconds
• Continue this until the person starts breathing again or until medical help arrives

Administer Narcan if Available

Narcan is a life-saving medication that can stop – or even reverse – the symptoms of a drug overdose in as little as 2 to 3 minutes. It’s safe for all ages, including senior citizens, and won’t harm the person even if they don't have opioids in their system. Because of this, Narcan should be administered any time there’s a chance that someone has overdosed.

Narcan is available as both an injectable and a nasal spray. Instructions for how to use each version can be found here:

• How to administer Narcan nasal spray
• How to administer injectable Narcan

Monitor the Person’s Response

The best course of action for responding to an overdose ultimately depends on the symptoms you’re seeing. For example: 

• If the person is breathing but is vomiting, it’s best to roll them onto their side so they don’t choke on vomit.
• If the person is going in and out of consciousness, try calling their name loudly or saying something they wouldn’t want to hear – such as “I’m calling 911” – to see if you can stimulate them awake.
• If you administer Narcan but don’t see an improvement in 2 or 3 minutes, it’s recommended that you provide another dose.

These actions should be taken while waiting for medical help to arrive – not in place of calling for help. The person will still need medical attention to ensure their safety.

Stay With Them

If someone has overdosed, it’s important not to leave their side, especially before medical help arrives. You should plan to stay with the person for at least 4 hours after their last dose of Narcan to ensure their symptoms don’t recur. Plan to stay even longer if the person took long-lasting opioids or if you aren’t sure what they took.

What NOT to Do if Someone May Be Overdosing

Sometimes, knowing what not to do in a situation is just as helpful as knowing which steps to take. A few actions you should avoid while caring for someone who has overdosed include the following:

• DON’T slap their face to try to wake them up
• DON’T inject them with any substances other than Narcan
• DON’T try to make them vomit to throw up the drugs they ingested 
• DON’T put them in a cold shower or bath

Get Free Support From Addiction Recovery Consultants at Never Alone Recovery

The Never Alone program offers free services and resources to support the recovery journey for those with an addiction and their loved ones. In addition to hosting a weekly online support group, we offer individualized treatment planning and travel coordination to help connect you with the care you need.

Kickstart your addiction treatment journey. Give us a call at 866-788-8335.