Any substance that can become addictive is extremely dangerous and can be lethal to its user. There are many ways that you can prevent the deaths that result from overdosing on a specific drug. Overdosing can be a result of alcohol intake or drug intake in an irresponsible manner and is often the result of addiction. Here are some actionable steps that you should take to prevent drug-related deaths.
Call Your Emergency Hotline Immediately
It is very crucial that whenever you notice any overdosing symptoms in anyone, that you immediately contact your emergency hotline. Symptoms of drug misuse can show as a change in temperature, an increase in pulse rate, loss of consciousness, and/or abnormal breathing. If you notice any of these signs on a drug user, then it could be very much a symptom of overdose. If you don’t know what you’re supposed to do in the meantime, request help from the person on the phone with you until the medics arrive. If a person is on certain medication or has taken any medicine in the past few hours before the symptoms start to show, be sure to inform the medics of that medication because a certain mix of medications may result in overdose or, in some cases, sudden deaths.
Causes of Overdose and How to Avoid Them
There are many factors that contribute to cases of overdose, both with drugs and alcohol. It is only a myth that drinking a large quantity of alcohol or swallowing too many pills, or intaking a large quantity of illegal drugs causes overdoses. As a matter of fact, drug overdoses can be a result of factors not related to the number of pills or quantity of drugs taken by a person. People older than 65 are at a much greater risk of overdosing. Specific drugs, when mixed with other drugs or alcohol, can result in overdosing. It is very important to never swallow your pills using any alcoholic drink instead of water. Emotional and mental illnesses increase the risk of someone overdosing on a certain medication. If you suspect that someone around you is misusing a drug, make sure to read more about the topic to be able to help them and save them as early as possible.
Offer Addiction treatment
The most effective way to prevent drug-related deaths is to offer treatment for that person’s addiction. Addiction is one of the main causes of drug-related deaths. When the treatment is done correctly and the addict actually receives their full treatment, most of the time that person is able to kick the habit for the long term. In most countries, there’s a hotline that can provide you with help concerning your addiction or someone close to you. You can find this hotline online and it is most probably a 24-hour service.
Addiction and misuse of either alcohol or drugs is a very serious issue that requires attention and care. Most of the time, addiction recovery facilities fail to help people in need because people refuse to get help. Take the first step and raise awareness about the dangers of drug addiction on the addict and the people around them.
