Knowing what an overdose looks like and what to do in the first minutes saves lives. You do not need to be a professional — a bystander with naloxone and a phone is often the difference between life and death.
It is always safe to call for help Most regions have Good Samaritan laws that protect people who call emergency services during an overdose. Calling is the right thing to do — make the call.
Opioid overdose — the big killer
Signs: very slow or stopped breathing, gurgling or snoring sounds, blue or grey lips and fingertips, pinpoint pupils, and being unresponsive to shouting or a hard sternum rub. The danger is that breathing stops.
Respond to an opioid overdose
-
1
Try to wake them Shout their name and firmly rub your knuckles on their breastbone. No response = act.
-
2
Call emergency services Say someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally.
-
3
Give naloxone Spray one dose of nasal naloxone into a nostril, or inject one dose into a muscle (outer thigh / shoulder). Give another dose every 2–3 minutes if there is no response.
-
4
Support their breathing If they aren't breathing, give rescue breaths — this is what actually keeps them alive while naloxone works.
-
5
Recovery position and stay Once breathing, put them on their side so they can't choke. Stay — naloxone wears off in 30–90 minutes and the overdose can return.
After naloxone Naloxone can throw someone into sudden, intense withdrawal — they may be confused or distressed. It also wears off before many opioids do, so the overdose can come back. Keep them with help.
Stimulant overdose ("overamping") Naloxone does NOT work on stimulants. Signs of overamping include overheating, chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, severe agitation or paranoia, and seizures. Move them somewhere cool and calm, help them cool down, and call for help if there is chest pain, a seizure, or they lose consciousness.
✓ Do
- Carry naloxone and learn to use it before you need it.
- Give rescue breaths — oxygen is what saves an opioid overdose.
- Put a breathing, unresponsive person in the recovery position.
- Stay until help arrives.
✕ Don't
- Don't leave the person alone.
- Don't put them in a cold bath, induce vomiting, or inject them with anything but naloxone.
- Don't assume one naloxone dose is enough.