The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that more than 1,000 emergency department visits daily are related to opioid use and that there are about 91 opioid overdose deaths every day in the U.S. 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. A drug overdose can occur after an individual takes too much of a medication or substance. Stimulants, alcohol, and benzodiazepines can also lead to drug overdose.

When Should You Call a Doctor over a Suspected Drug Overdose?

This lack of oxygen can cause organ damage, unconsciousness, and even death. The rate of deaths from drug overdose has increased steadily over the past couple of decades. A drug overdose may occur when an individual consumes too much of a substance. Opioids, stimulants, and other substances can all cause an overdose.

For Public Health Professionals

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). 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. Police officers, emergency medical technicians and first responders carry and have training on how to give naloxone.

About 39.5 million people lived with drug use disorders in 2021(2). Most people dependent on opioids used illicitly cultivated and manufactured heroin, but the proportion of those using prescription opioids is growing. The main cause of death from an opioid overdose is respiratory failure (you stop breathing). This happens because the opioids negatively affect the part of your brain that’s responsible for breathing. It can be difficult to prevent an opioid overdose because you may not know the potency of the substances you’re using. A person can still experience the effects of an overdose after a dose of naloxone wears off.

The drug naloxone (Narcan) can also help treat an opioid overdose by blocking opioids’ effects in the body. This medication is available in a nasal spray and as an intravenous injection at the hospital. A drug overdose is taking too much of a substance, whether it’s prescription, over-the-counter, legal, or illegal. If you’ve taken more than the recommended amount of a drug or enough to have a harmful effect on your body’s functions, you have overdosed. Rates for Oregon (A) and Washington (B) obtained from the National Vital Statistics System, January 2018-March 2022.

What should I do if I think someone is experiencing an opioid overdose?

An opioid overdose happens when opioids negatively affect the part of your brain that regulates breathing, resulting in ineffective breathing. A person experiencing an opioid overdose needs naloxone and immediate medical care to prevent death. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), annual rates of death from overdose of synthetic opioids such as tramadol and fentanyl have increased five-fold since the early 2000s. Part of this increase may have to do with the potency of synthetic opioids. For example, the CDC indicates that fentanyl, a man-made opioid, is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. On February 1, 2021, a citizen initiative termed Measure 110 went into effect in Oregon.

1. They will also monitor the patient’s vital signs and work to improve them, if necessary.
2. An opioid overdose happens when opioids negatively affect the part of your brain that regulates breathing, resulting in ineffective breathing.
3. Prior to 2023, drug deaths had spiraled upward, climbing at times by more than 30% per year.
4. If a person is suspected of overdosing on drugs, call 911 immediately.
5. This type of overdose can cause heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.

Knowing the signs and symptoms of an overdose and what to do if you think you or someone else may be overdosing is life-saving information. Symptoms of opioid overdoses include slow breathing, heart rate and pulse.6 Opioid overdoses can also cause pinpoint pupils, and blue lips and nails due to low levels of oxygen in the blood. A person experiencing an opioid overdose might also have muscle spasms, seizures and decreased consciousness. A person experiencing an opiate overdose usually will not wake up, even if their name is called or they are shaken vigorously.

Seek immediate medical help by calling 911 or taking them to an emergency unit. If you aren’t sure if someone is overdosing, it’s best to act as if they are by seeking emergency help. These symptoms of stimulant overdose can lead to a seizure, stroke, heart attack, or death.

They may also find items or substances related to the overdose near the person. It can be difficult for people who use opioids or other substances to know what to expect when using nonmedical forms of opioids. This is because when they’re not regulated medically, they often have varying levels of drug overdose meaning potency.

Oregon vs synthetic Oregon (A) and Washington vs synthetic Washington (B), January 2018-March 2022. The vertical line represents the implementation of Measure 110 and the Blake decision. All control units reflect an unweighted average rate of fatal drug overdose over the study period, inclusive of all 49 control units. The vertical line indicates the implementation of the drug policy change. The term “opioids” includes compounds that are extracted from the poppy plant (Papaver somniferum) as well as semisynthetic and synthetic compounds with similar properties that can interact with opioid receptors in the brain. Opioids have analgesic and sedative effects, and such medicines as morphine, codeine and fentanyl are commonly used for the management of pain.

General Health

Opiates occur in nature, though they can still be very dangerous in their purified and concentrated forms. In many cases, a person who overdoses generally recovers completely and without lasting physical disability. Anyone experiencing a substance use disorder should seek treatment to address their symptoms.