Thank you to Hollywood Health and Society for sponsoring this video.
Hey there!
Welcome to Life Noggin.
Drug overdoses are a serious problem.
There were more than 67,000 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2018 alone.
Overdose is the top cause of death for people under 50 in U.S.—killing more people than
car accidents or homicides—and is one the largest health crises our country has ever
faced.
Opioids are a significant driver of drug overdose deaths.
In 2018, they played a part in nearly 70% of fatal overdoses.
So just what are opioids?
The term refers to a class of pain relieving drugs including everything from prescription
medicines such as oxycodone and morphine, to drugs like heroin that are illegal in the
U.S.
When used correctly and under the guidance of a healthcare professional, prescribed opioids
can be extremely helpful in relieving pain.
However, if you take too much, or if you use illicit drugs, you risk an overdose.
And to make matters worse, two very powerful and dangerous opioids called fentanyl and
carfentanil are today commonly found in a large range of street drugs, including cocaine,
methamphetamine and MDMA.
Anyone who uses opioids can experience an overdose, but certain things can increase
risk, like combining opioids with alcohol or other drugs, Doing so increases the risk
of respiratory depression.
If you combine alcohol with another depressant, like opioids, the two substances work to intensify
the negative effect.
Opioids slow down the central nervous system, including breathing.
Alcohol is classified as a Central Nervous System depressant, meaning that it slows down
brain functioning and neural activity.
Other things that can increase the risk of overdose is taking higher daily doses or more
than was prescribed, buying drugs on the street, as well as certain medical conditions.
A high dose of opioids can cause you to stop breathing completely.
In short, respiratory failure is where enough oxygen doesn’t reach the heart, brain, or
rest of the body.
In an overdose, there is an excessive effect on the portion of the brain regulating respiratory
rate, resulting in respiratory depression and eventually death.
The typical symptoms seen in overdose are pinpoint pupils, respiratory depression, and
a decreased level of consciousness.”
While effects can vary, signs that a person is going through an overdose include a weak
pulse and clammy skin.
They may also show bluish skin around the lips, small pupils, and experience low breathing.
Opioid overdoses don’t have to be deadly, and there are things that can be done to help
save the life of someone experiencing an overdose.
A big thing is to get air into the person’s lungs.
If you know how to do it, you can perform artificial respiration (“rescue breathing”)
on the person until help arrives.
You may want to use a shield or a piece of cloth over your mouth.
One can actually reverse overdose with a medicine called naloxone.
Between 1996 and 2014, a survey from the CDC reported that over 26,000 overdoses were reversed
by everyday people equipped with naloxone kits.
That’s why it’s important that more places and people have access to naloxone—because
it can really save lives.
But just what is naloxone?
Naloxone is a type of medication that can safely reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist—meaning that it binds to opioid receptors and can
reverse and block the effects of other opioids.
It can very quickly restore normal respiration to a person whose breathing has slowed or
stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin or prescription opioid pain medications.
One of the effects it blocks is the depression of the central nervous system and respiratory
system, allowing an overdose victim to breathe normally.
While it only works on opioid overdoses, it is safe to use, causing no harm if opioids
are not present.
Administering naloxone nasal spray is easy.
In fact, it was designed to be used at home without any medical training.
The goal is to gently get a dose of naloxone into a person’s nasal passageway while tilting
their head back and supporting their neck.
It’s best to continue rescue breathing while you wait for naloxone to take effect.
Make sure to stay with the person until help arrives.
Naloxone is also available in a liquid form that you can administer with an injection
in a muscle or skin.
This is easy to do once someone has shown you how.
The medicine can be injected quickly even through someone’s pants or shirt.
Learn more about preventing overdose death and naloxone by checking out the links in
the description.
We’ll put a quick naloxone start guide, along with an overdose prevention resource
from the CDC down below as well.
So are there any other drugs you want us to talk about?
Let me know in the comment section below.
Thank you so much to Hollywood Health and Society who sponsored this video.
To find out more about what they do and see how you can help their great causes, click
the link in the description.
As always my name is Blocko, this has been Life Noggin.
Don't forget to Keep On Thinking!