Overdose Prevention
Rural Response Network
What is Opioid Overdose?
An opioid overdose happens when a person takes too much of an opioid, or combination of opioids and other drugs, at a level that is toxic to the body. Sometimes it can be hard to tell if a person who is using opioids is just very high, or actually experiencing a life-threatening overdose. If you are unsure, it is best to assume there is an overdose — you could save a life.
Anyone who use opioids can experience an overdose at any time. When a person survives an opioid overdose, it’s because someone knew what was happening and how to take action. Call 911 immediately if you think someone is experiencing an opioid overdose.
Signs of an overdose include:
- Unresponsiveness or unconsciousness.
- Slowed or stopped breathing.
- Snoring or rattling sounds.
- Cold or clammy skin.
- Discolored lips or fingernails.
What is Harm Reduction?
Harm reduction services meet people with substance use disorder “where they are.” If a person with substance use disorder isn’t ready to go into treatment, their lack of readiness doesn’t make them any less deserving of health care and support.
Harm Reduction services reduce the spread of infectious disease related to injection drug use, increases public safety, decreases stigma impacting people who inject drugs, and connects residents to substance use treatment and recovery support.
Harm reduction strategies are highly effective in decreasing the transmission of infectious diseases, preventing overdose, and reducing other sources of morbidity and mortality among people who use substances, including young people who use illicit drugs.
Harm reduction programs can also serve as critical access points for additional resources, health care, and treatment.
What is Naloxone?
Naloxone is a medication that can quickly reverse an overdose from either prescribed painkillers or illicit forms of opioids such as heroin and fentanyl. Naloxone is available in multiple forms, including intramuscular injection, auto-injection intramuscular, and nasal spray.
What is Fentanyl?
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid drug that is up to 50x stronger than heroin and 100x stronger than morphine. It is often mixed with heroin, cocaine, or counterfeit (“pressed”) pills, with or without user’s knowledge.
Fentanyl test strips (FTS) are a form of drug testing technology which can detect the presence of fentanyl in drug samples prior to use. FTS are a reliable, common-sense means of providing people at risk of fentanyl exposure with more information that can decrease risk of overdose.
In Lorain County (2022), fentanyl was present in 84% of accidental overdose deaths
To learn more about the signs and symptoms of overdoses, fentanyl, preventing deaths with Naloxone, the Good Samaritan Law and other resources, visit OH Against OD (Ohio Against Overdoses)
OH Against OD (Ohio Against Overdoses) | Ohio Department of Health
For a list on where to get Naloxone Click Here.
For Locations of Free Fentanyl Test Strips Click Here
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