What is an opioid? 

Opioids are a class of natural, semi-synthetic, and synthetic drugs. Prescription medications that are used to treat pain, like morphine, and illegal drugs, like heroin, are both considered opioids. 

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What are the risks of using opioids?

​Opioids are very addictive.

The use of opioids, either by themselves or in combination with other drugs, is a major contributor and driver of the drug overdose crisis in the United States.

Opioids differ in their strength. For example, fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine, making even the smallest doses of fentanyl fatal.[1]

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What is an opioid overdose?​​

An overdose happens when too much of a drug is taken and harms your body. When too many opioids are taken, your breathing can slow and stop. Opioid overdoes can be nonfatal or they can result in death. 

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How to spot an opioid overdose?

Sometimes it is hard to tell if a person is just very high or experiencing an overdose. If you are having a hard time telling the difference, it is best to treat the situation like an overdose -- you could be saving someones's life. The following are signs of an overdose [2]: 

• ​Loss of consciousness 

• Unresponsive to outside stimulus 

• Awake, but unable to talk

• Breathing is very slow and shallow or has stopped

• Choking sounds, or a snore-like gurgling noise 

• Vomiting 

• Body is very limp

• Face is very pale or clammy

• Fingernails and lips turn blue or purplish black 

• Pulse (heartbeat) is slow, erratic, or not there at all