Would You Be Able to Spot a Fentanyl Overdose?

Fentanyl OVERDOSE Red Flags – Call 911 If You Spot These Signs

(DailyDig.com) – According to data from Families Against Fentanyl (FAF), one person dies from a fentanyl overdose nearly every 8.5 minutes, which translates to tens of thousands of deaths per year. The FAF asserted that the potent opioid has officially become the number-one killer of people aged 18 to 45. Health experts say people can help prevent these deaths if they know what to look for and how to react.

Fentanyl poisoning's surprising signs: What parents and friends must knowhttps://t.co/PSdH0txdKE

— Fox News (@FoxNews) July 6, 2022

A physician specializing in treating and preventing chronic pain, Dr. Devi Nampiaparampil, told Fox News that it’s hard for people to realize when someone is overdosing on these medications due to the victims appearing to be in a relaxed state of mind.

The doctor explained that during an overdose, a person’s breathing slows, leading to a decrease in oxygen levels, adding that a person’s body will typically panic when oxygen levels reach a certain point. However, fentanyl and other opioids sedate the person, so users seem as though they’re simply trying to sleep.

Dr. Nampiaparampil noted that people don’t typically notice any outward signs of a problem and therefore feel no need to call 911. An associate vice president of consumer clinical content development at Partnership to End Addiction in New York City, Pat Aussem, explained that anyone who looks excessively sleepy could be in trouble. The expert adds that if an individual doesn’t react to their name, make a fist and rub it firmly on the person’s sternum. Aussem states if they don’t respond, it’s time to call 911 and administer naloxone, an opioid antidote, if possible.

While many people understand the dangers of fentanyl and know they should avoid it, the drug can easily be combined with meth, cocaine, molly, or made to look like pills resembling oxycontin, Xanax, or Adderall. As a result, people who buy drugs illegally are at high risk of unintentional exposure, likely a reason the deadly pharmaceutical has become such a problem.