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OVERDOSE PREVENTION BASICS

Learn about opioids, risks of overdose, ways to reduce risk, and how to respond to overdose situations. Get information on naloxone (Narcan) and where to access it.

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OVERDOSE PREVENTION BASICS

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  1. OVERDOSE PREVENTION BASICS Hit Enter or click on mouse to advance the slides

  2. Papaver Somniferum “Poppy Plant” What are opioids? • Opioids are any drugs made from opium. They are either natural or manufactured. Common opioids include: • Heroin • Morphine • Coedine • Methadone • Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percocet) • Hydrocodone (Vicodin) • Fentanyl Picture courtesy of SKOOP

  3. What happens when someone uses/abuses opioids? • People feel very relaxed, may have feelings of euphoria or floating • Breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure slow down – opioids are depressants • People might “nod off,” or look like they are falling asleep

  4. People can abuse opioids by using illegal opioids ( like heroin), or by misusing prescription opioids . They both have the same affects and risks.

  5. RISKS FOR OVERDOSE WAYS TO REDUCE RISK

  6. RISKS FOR OVERDOSE WAYS TO REDUCE RISK

  7. RISKS FOR OVERDOSE WAYS TO REDUCE RISK

  8. A few words about benzodiazepines (“benzos”): • Examples of common benzos: Klonopin, Valium, Xanax • Frequently prescribed for mental health reasons • Make people who are in withdrawal feel better • Enhance the effects of opioids, and are used to get high • Long lasting (at least a day, usually) • Impair short-term memory. People forget how many benzos or how much heroin they have used in the last 24 hours- this could put someone in danger for an OD!! • Common and easy to find on the street • Cheaper than heroin • Drugs can be cut or enhanced with benzos without the user knowing Slide Courtesy of SKOOP

  9. What is the difference? • THESE ARE SIGNS OF AN OVERDOSE: • Blue lips or fingertips • Slow pulse or no pulse • Pale face • Vomiting • Choking

  10. If you are there when an overdose happens…

  11. 1. Call 911 First! • Call 911 right away • You don’t have to say the person is overdosing- you can say: “My friend is not breathing” • “My friend is unconscious” • Try to stay calm and follow the 911 operator’s instructions • If you have to call 911 and leave, that’s ok. Just make sure that EMTs can get to the person who needs help (leave doors open, etc.)

  12. Recovery PositionThis is the position someone should be in if you have to leave the scene for any reason. This way, they won’t choke if they vomit. Slide courtesy of Oxfordshire Youth Services

  13. 2. Rescue Breathing • Lift the chin to open the airway • Place hand under chin bone and lift. • Give 2 slow breaths. • Blow enough air into their lungs to make their chest rise. • Turn your head after each breath to ensure the chest is rising and falling. If it doesn’t work, tilt the head back more. • Breathe again every 5 seconds. Continue this pattern until: • The person starts to breathe on their own • An ambulance comes. • Someone else can take over for you. • You are too exhausted to continue.

  14. 3. Administer Narcan (Naloxone)

  15. Assemble Narcan nasal spray according to the instructions in the kit • Spray half up one nostril, half up the other nostril

  16. How does Narcan work? Opioid fits exactly in receptor The brain has many, many receptors for opioids. Too much opioid fitting in too many receptors slow and stop the breathing. Opioid receptor in the brain Slide courtesy of SKOOP

  17. Heroin Narcan has a stronger bond to the opioid receptors than the heroin, so it knocks the heroin off the receptors for a short time and lets the person breathe again. Narcan Slide courtesy of SKOOP

  18. Narcan Facts • Narcan (Naloxone) is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose • Narcan is sprayed up the nose and works by blocking the opioids in someone’s body from touching receptors in the brain • Works within 3-5 minutes • No other side effects- nothing will happen if the person is not overdosing- Narcan only reacts with opioids

  19. Things to remember: • Narcan does not remove opioids from the body • Narcan wears off in 30-90 minutes. The overdose could come back- because opioids are still in the system!

  20. Where you can get Narcan: • Cambridge Cares about AIDS - Cambridge, MA (617)599-0246 • CAB Health and Recovery Services - Lynn, MA (781)592-0243 • AHOPE - Boston, MA (800) 383-2437 • AIDS Support of Cape Cod – Provincetown, MA (866) 668-6448 • Seven Hills Behavioral Health – New Bedford, MA (508) 996-0546 • Tapestry Health – Northampton, MA (413) 586-0310 • Brockton Area Multi-Services, Inc. – Brockton, MA (508) 583-3405

  21. Places to get more information: • Statewide Substance Abuse Helpline: 1-800-327-5050 / www.helpline-online.com • Massachusetts/Rhode Island Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222 / www.maripoisoncenter.com • www.streetdrugs.org

  22. Contact OPEN to learn more about overdose, schedule a workshop, or access resources. OPEN: Overdose Prevention and Education Network phone: 617-349-6346 email: open@cambridgema.gov Mary Amato, Project Coordinator A project of the Cambridge Prevention Coalition

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