People who use drugs alone are limited in their access to bystander intervention in the event of an overdose. In the absence of supervised consumption spaces, using technology to connect people who use drugs with trained lay responders who are pre-equipped with naloxone and instructions for informing emergency medical services (EMS) is a highly effective harm reduction strategy for reducing the risk of fatal overdose. People are exposed to xylazine (knowingly or unknowingly) frequently in combination with opioids, particularly fentanyl, which causes sedation that may not be reversable with naloxone. For example, xylazine is a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer increasingly involved in overdose deaths across the US. While naloxone is highly effective at reversing opioid overdoses, it is not effective in treating overdoses caused by benzodiazepines or stimulants (e.g., cocaine and amphetamines). Naloxone rapidly reverses an opioid overdose by attaching to opioid receptors, displacing and blocking the effects of opioid agonists. An opioid overdose, including fentanyl overdoses, can be reversed if identification and action are taken within minutes (i.e., with the administration of naloxone, rescue breaths, and/or the application of supplemental oxygen). , with many deaths occurring in the absence of bystander intervention.ĭuring an opioid overdose, an individual’s breathing slows down and can stop completely. Drug overdose, particularly those involving illicit fentanyl and stimulants, has emerged as a challenging health and safety concern in the U.S. Unintentional drug overdose is the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States (US), with nearly 92,000 fatalities recorded in 2020 and over 100,000 fatalities in 2021.
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