c m y cm my cy cmy k staying alive - keep your head · 2018-05-10 · staying alive 29/10/2010...

staying alive 29/10/2010 12:26

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C M Y CM MY CY CMY K

If you injectheroin or

other opiatesread this booklet!

Staying alive


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In the UK over 100people die froma drugs overdoseevery month. Mostof them are in theirtwenties and thirties.And many of theirdeaths could beprevented.


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Don’t let it happento you, or the peopleyou care about.Read this booklet. Talk toyour local drugs serviceabout overdose. And try toget more help.

Many local drugs servicesrun training courses on howto deal with overdose andhow to give first aid.


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Are you at risk?Do you ever:

■ inject heroin?

■ drink alcohol or takedowners (such as valium)on the same day as opiates(such as heroin ormethadone)?

■ mix heroin and cocaineor crack?

■ use a lot of heroin, crack,cocaine or speed?

■ take a break from opiates,and then go back?


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Have you:

■ been injecting heroin fora long time?

■ gone over a few timesin the recent past?

Are you:

■ feeling down, depressedor anxious as well as usingopiates, downers, crackor cocaine?

If you answered ‘yes’ to anyof these questions, you couldbe at risk of overdose.


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Phil’s story“I remember this one time.I did a hit with two otherpeople. Next thing I knewI was coming round. Hourshad gone by. It was darkoutside. I realised I’d goneover. The people I was withhad just walked out.

I saw one of them a fewweeks later. He wassurprised to see me.


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He said, ‘Last time I saw you,you were going blue!’ I don’tblame him for walking out.It was my responsibility, andI was taking stupid risks.

Why should he give a shitabout my life if I don’t?”

What risksare you taking?


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Know the risksIf you think overdose won’thappen to you, think again.

Most people who overdoseknow a lot about drugs.But they don’t always realisethe risks they are taking.


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InjectingPeople who inject are muchmore likely to overdose.

Smoking or chasing isa much safer bet.

Don’t inject.If you do, don’t do it alone.


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Mixing depressants(like heroin, methadone,benzos and alcohol)

Most overdoses happenwhen people have morethan one depressant druglike alcohol, valium,temazepam, methadoneand/or heroin in theirsystem at the same time.

Don’t mix depressants.


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High toleranceDeaths from heroin overdosecan happen at any age.But most deaths from heroinoverdose happen to peopleover 25 who have beenusing (especially injecting)for a few years.

Think about treatment.It can seriously reduceyour risk of overdose.


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Low toleranceYour tolerance to heroinand other opiates builds upquite slowly. But if you stopusing for a week or so, it dropsright down again. So a dosewhich would have been OKa week or two ago, could killyou now.

Make this promise to yourself:“if I use heroin again, I’ll chaseuntil I’ve got a tolerance.”


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MethadoneMany methadone-relatedoverdoses happen to peoplewho buy methadone fromsomeone in treatment.Often they don’t realise thattheir tolerance is completelydifferent from the personthey’ve bought it from.

Don’t sell your script.


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StimulantsResearch suggests you areover 20 times more likely tohave a heart attack in the hourafter taking cocaine or crack.If you use regularly, you candevelop heart problemswithout realising it – especiallyif you also use alcohol.Eventually, this can causeheart attacks or strokes – themost common cause of deathin a stimulant overdose.

Get your heart checked out.


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Feeling downFeelings of depression cancreep up on you.

You can lose hope that thingswill change – or even stopcaring whether you live or die.If this rings a bell with you,don’t give up hope.

Talk about how you’re feeling– and try to get help.


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Not knowingwhat to doThere are usually peoplearound when someoneoverdoses. But often, theydon’t know what to do.Make sure you – and thepeople around you – areprepared.

Ask your local drugs serviceabout first aid training. Andask if they also provide theheroin antidote, naloxone.


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What you knowand what you doabout overdosecould make the

difference betweenlife and death.


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Adam’s story“I remember giving this guya small hit just to tide himover. He overdosed on it.I couldn’t believe it.

His heart was beating buthe’d stopped breathing.I knew mouth to mouth.So I breathed for him forhalf an hour. He just suddenlycame round.


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I don’t know why, but I burstinto tears.

I suppose it was just thatI could feel the life goingback to him. I never thoughtI’d experience somethinglike that.”

Overdose trainingcan save lives


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Prepare yourselfIf you spend time withpeople who use, you haveto face the fact thatyou could witnessa life or death situation.


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The best way to prepareyourself is by:

■ knowing the risks and signs

■ talking to your local drugsservice about overdose

■ learning how to dealwith overdose.

Find out if first aidtraining for overdoseis available locally.


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Overdose signs:

Depressants(heroin, methadone,benzos, alcohol)

Moderate: uncontrollablenodding, can’t focus eyes,slurred speech, pale skin.

Serious: awake but can’t talk.

Severe: snoring, erratic orshallow breathing, vomiting,turning blue, problemsbreathing, not breathing,choking or gurgling.


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Overdose signs:

Stimulants(crack, coke, speed)

Moderate: paranoia, pale skin,clammy skin, clenched jaws,aggression, the shakes,very fast pulse.

Serious: blurred vision,sweating, diarrhoea,pressure or tightness inthe chest, dizziness, difficultywith talking or walking,becoming violent.

Severe: chest pain,fitting, collapse.


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Signs of overdoseYou need to know if theyare unconscious. You findout by rubbing your knuckleson their sternum – the centreof their rib cage.

If you can’t wake them or theyare showing other signs ofunconsciousness such as:

■ snoring deeply;

■ turning blue; or

■ not breathing;

Don’t panic.


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What you need to do1. Put them in the

recovery position.

2. Dial 999 and askfor an ambulance.

3. Stay with them untilthe ambulance arrives.

Read and practise theinstructions on thefollowing pages, so thatyou know how to keepthem alive until theambulance gets there.


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The recovery positionIf someone is unconsciousand breathing, put them inthe recovery position.

1. Open their airway bytilting the head backand lifting the chin.

2. Straighten the legs.

3. Place the arm nearestto you at right anglesto their body.

4. Pull the arm furthest fromyou across their chest andplace the back of theirhand against the cheeknearest to you.


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Practise this with a frienduntil you can do itwithout thinking.


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5. Get hold of the far leg,just above the knee, andpull it up, keeping thefoot flat on the ground.

6. Keep their hand pressedagainst the cheek andpull on the upper leg toroll them towards you,and onto their side.

The recovery position


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The recovery position7. Tilt the head back to

make sure they canbreathe easily.

8. Make sure that boththe hip and the knee ofthe upper leg are bentat right angles.

Dial 999 and ask for anambulance. Stay with themuntil the ambulance arrives.

If you do first aid training,you can also learn techniqueslike mouth to mouth andchest compression, to keepsomeone’s breathing andcirculation going.


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Calling an ambulancesaves livesIf you’re worried about thepolice coming, just tell theoperator that someone isunconscious and then explainthings properly when theambulance comes. When youring 999, try to make surethere is no shouting or panicin the background.

In a lot of areas the policedon’t come to overdosesituations any more. If you dowant to know the policy inyour area, ask your localdrugs service.


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What not to doIf someone is unconsciousafter an overdose, there isnothing you can do to wakethem up. The best hope ofsaving their life is to call anambulance.

Don’t walk people around.

It wastes time, they could fall,or the drugs could getpumped into theirbloodstream quicker.


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Don’t put themin a cold bath.

Wastes time, and there’sa risk of them drowningor dying of cold.

Don’t hurt, hit orburn them.

This is another time waster– and could cause an injury.


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Don’t inject themwith salt water.

This won’t help and itmight be harmful.(When paramedics usea salt drip, it’s just to keepthe vein open.)


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“Every time someone dies,you think ‘that could havebeen me’. It’s easy to feelpowerless. But every positivechoice you make can cutdown your risk.” Gary

Contact your local drugs service

or talk to FRANK on 0800 77 66 00

© National Treatment Agency / Department of Health /Exchange Supplies 2010. Second edition 2010.

Re-order code: HRPUB5

HarmReductionWorks.org.uk

c m y cm my cy cmy k staying alive - keep your head · 2018-05-10 · staying alive 29/10/2010...

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