How to Respond to a Suspected Overdose While Waiting for Help

What to Do If You Think Someone Has Overdosed

If someone is unresponsive, breathing shallowly, or has blue lips and fingernails, they may be overdosing. Overdose isn’t always obvious. People don’t always collapse dramatically. Sometimes they’re just lying still, breathing slowly or making strange snoring sounds. That’s not sleep - that’s a medical emergency. Every minute counts. You don’t need to be a doctor. You don’t need to know exactly what they took. You just need to act.

Step 1: Call for Help Immediately

Before you do anything else, call 999. Don’t wait. Don’t think, "Maybe they’ll wake up." Don’t panic and forget to call. The single most important thing you can do is get professional help on the way. Emergency services reduce death risk by 35% compared to waiting for someone to recover on their own. While you’re calling, keep the line open. The operator can guide you through the next steps. If you’re alone, put the phone on speaker. If you’re with someone, have them call while you start helping.

Step 2: Check Breathing and Position Them

Look, listen, and feel for breathing for no more than 10 seconds. If they’re not breathing or only gasping, get ready to give rescue breaths. If they’re breathing but unconscious, roll them into the recovery position. Here’s how: gently roll them onto their left side. Bend their top knee to 90 degrees and place it on the floor for support. Tilt their head back slightly so their airway stays open. This stops them from choking if they vomit. Don’t shake them or slap their face - that delays real help.

Step 3: Give Rescue Breaths If They’re Not Breathing

If they’re not breathing, start rescue breathing right away. Tilt their head back, lift their chin, pinch their nose shut, and give one slow breath into their mouth every 5 to 6 seconds. Each breath should last about one second and make their chest rise. Don’t blow too hard - you don’t want air going into their stomach. Keep going until they start breathing on their own or help arrives. Rescue breathing alone can keep someone alive for 10 to 15 minutes. Most overdose deaths happen because breathing stops, not because the heart fails.

Step 4: Use Naloxone If You Have It - But Only for Opioids

If you have naloxone (like Narcan nasal spray), use it if you suspect an opioid overdose. Signs include very slow or no breathing, pinpoint pupils, and skin that feels cold and clammy. Spray one dose into one nostril while the person is lying on their back. You don’t need to remove their clothing. Naloxone works in 2 to 5 minutes. But here’s the key: naloxone only works on opioids. It won’t help if they took cocaine, alcohol, benzodiazepines, or ecstasy. Even if you give naloxone, you still need to call 999 and keep giving rescue breaths. Naloxone wears off after 30 to 90 minutes - the overdose can come back. People who’ve been revived with naloxone often need hospital care.

Step 5: Don’t Try These Common Myths

Don’t put them in a cold shower or ice bath. That can trigger dangerous heart rhythms, especially with stimulants like cocaine or MDMA. Don’t make them walk around. Don’t give them coffee or food. Don’t try to make them vomit. These things can make things worse. Don’t assume they’re just drunk or sleeping. Overdose looks like deep sleep - but the body is shutting down. If they’re not responding to loud voices or shoulder shakes, treat it like an emergency.

What If You Don’t Know What They Took?

You don’t need to know. If someone is unresponsive and not breathing normally, start rescue breathing and call 999. If you have naloxone, use it anyway. Most overdoses in the UK now involve opioids - even if other drugs are mixed in. Naloxone is safe to give even if opioids aren’t involved. It won’t hurt someone who didn’t take them. The priority is keeping oxygen flowing to the brain. Every second without breath can cause brain damage. Rescue breathing buys time until paramedics arrive.

Why This Works: The Science Behind the Steps

Overdose kills by stopping breathing. The brain can only survive 4 to 6 minutes without oxygen before permanent damage happens. Rescue breathing keeps oxygen moving. Naloxone reverses opioid effects by kicking the drugs off brain receptors. It’s not a cure - it’s a bridge. Studies show bystanders who perform rescue breathing and use naloxone can cut overdose deaths by up to 50%. In communities with widespread training, survival rates to hospital discharge hit 98.7%. That’s not luck - it’s knowing what to do.

What to Expect After Help Arrives

Paramedics will check vital signs, give oxygen, and may give more naloxone if needed. They’ll monitor heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. Even if the person wakes up, they’ll likely be taken to the hospital. Overdose can cause delayed complications like lung injury or organ stress. Hospitals also connect people to support services - addiction treatment, counseling, harm reduction programs. This isn’t punishment. It’s care.

How to Be Ready Before It Happens

Keep naloxone in your home, car, or bag if you or someone you know uses opioids. It’s now available without a prescription in many pharmacies. Learn the recovery position. Watch a 5-minute video on rescue breathing - the Red Cross has free ones online. Talk to friends about what to do if someone overdoses. Many people freeze because they’ve never practiced. Training takes less than an hour. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to start.

Final Thought: You Don’t Have to Be Brave - Just Do Something

You might feel scared. You might worry about getting in trouble. You might think, "What if I do it wrong?" The truth is, doing something is better than doing nothing. People have saved lives by just calling 999 and giving breaths. You don’t need to be a hero. You just need to be there. And if you are, you might just give someone another chance.