Hollywood and public misconceptions tend to view overdoses as always being
too much of a good thing, usually heroin. But most overdoses take place
when someone injects heroin at the same time as using another drug with
a depressant effect such as alcohol, pills (eg ‘benzos’) or
methadone.
The combined effect of depressant drugs is to depress the central nervous system and the breathing, so people can literally stop breathing. Another common cause of overdose is people going back to using drugs, particularly opiate drugs such as heroin, after a period of abstinence.
Depressants and overdose
The good news is that knowing what to do can prevent a death. It may take several hours for someone to die from an overdose so read on and get informed. The common drugs in this category include opiates ( ie. heroin, morphine and methadone), alcohol, and those well known prescription drugs, benzodiazepines. Signs of overdose are those of a depressed central nervous system — slow, infrequent or shallow breathing, blue lips or fingernails, cold or pale skin, slow or faint pulse, snoring or gurgling noises, and the inability to be woken from nodding off.
The first thing to do is stay calm. See if you can get a response if your mate has dropped, by pinching an earlobe, calling their name or rubbing your knuckles against their chest.
No response? See if they are breathing and make sure nothing is blocking their airway, such as vomit or their tongue. Roll them on to their side into the recovery position.
Ring the emergency number and get the ambulance out. In many countries, the ambulance don't call the police unless they expect danger. Find out the rules in your country and region.
Stimulants and overdose
You can overdose from stimulants, such as speed, ecstasy and cocaine, with symptoms such as rapid heartbeat, muscle cramps, seizures, paranoia, psychosis, confusion, loss of control of movement, vomiting and unconsciousness.
Stay with the person and help them to remain calm. Move them to a quiet area, and where possible, apply a wet cloth to their neck or forehead. If unconscious, place them in the recovery position.
Call an ambulance. You can also call an ambulance if you are worried about the persons state of mind, especially if you think they are at risk to themselves or others.
First aid for a suspected overdose
The recovery position
Practise this with whoever you do drugs with. It could save someone's life!
1 Kneel beside the person
2 Place the arm nearest to you at right angles to their body
3 Pull the arm furthest from you across their chest
4 Hold the leg closest to you, under the knee
5 Place your hand under their head and using your other hand under the knee,
gently roll the person onto their side facing away from you
6 Keep them in position by placing the top knee at a right angle and kneeling
close behind them.
Key points to prevent a drug overdose
Remember the three golden rules for reducing your chances of an overdose:
• Don’t mix drugs
• When unsure, try a small taste first
• Be aware of low tolerance following a period of abstinence (eg a
period in detox or rehab or after leaving prison).
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