HELP & ADVICE

Emergency

By emergency, we mean overdose.

Alcohol

• Encourage them to be sick
• Put the person in the recovery position and keep warm
• Check breathing and airway clear by looking and listening
• Keep under observation until you are sure that they are OK
• If in doubt call an ambulance!

Heroin (or other Opiate)

• Slow or difficult breathing
• Blue/mauve lips
• Cannot be roused by gentle slap
• If no naltrexone call ambulance - if you have naltrexone then inject into muscle either top of thigh or backside.
• Call ambulance
• Do not use any other drugs until ambulance arrives

Stimulants

People think you can't overdose on stimulants - you can. Signs are hyperactivity both physical and mental, high temperature and chest pain. Obviously the dangers are heart attack and/or stroke. However this is rare.

• Keep the person as calm as possible.
• Ice is good to keep the persons temperature down - overheating is a real danger.
• Any chest pain or if you cant get the person to calm then CALL AN AMBULANCE as it is likely the person will need medication to slow the heart and reduce the blood pressure.

More emergency advice

Do not wait for things to get better or for the drug to wear off. Call an ambulance; better safe than sorry - this is about life and death.

Do not inject salt water; it simply doesn't work and wastes valuable time.

Do not try to give anything by mouth to someone who has overdosed (eg, tea, coffee, alcohol). Apart from not working, you may make them vomit.

If someone is unconscious, it is not recommended that you make them vomit. There is a significant risk of them inhaling their vomit and suffocating.

Do not inject amphetamines or other stimulants to try to reverse the effects of heroin. It doesn't work and can complicate further emergency procedures.

Do not put an unconscious person in a bath - they may drown. However, if someone has overdosed on stimulants (particularly Ecstasy), and their body feels very hot, consider using water soaked cloth to cool them as the ambulance arrives.

Do not use again after being revived, particularly if Naloxone/Nacan has been used. Narcan may wear off while your first dose is still active. A further depressant drug (heroin, Valium, alcohol, etc) will likely lead to another overdose.

Do not get aggressive with ambulance officers for saving your life. You may attract the police if they feel threatened, you make it difficult for others who overdose and it's not polite.