Hey guys,
Opiates have been getting a lot of press recently, but the public still remains fairly uneducated about how to spot an overdose or identify an addict.
A friend of mine recently passed away as the result of an overdose. He was not a heavy user and was not known by his friends to use heroin. To make a long story short, his friends thought something may have been wrong when they heard him making a strange snoring noise, but figured he was just sleeping. 30 minutes later when he was unrousable, EMTs were called, who pronounced him dead.
Noone likes to think about "what if". But the fact is, if these people had known the signs of an opiate overdose, he potentially would still be with us today.
If your friend or loved one is making strange gurgling noises in their "sleep", this may be a sign of an overdose. This is what happens as your respitory system becomes totally arrested, so if the subject is unrousable, begin CPR and call 911 as soon as possible. The subject needs oxygen to keep circulating in their blood and Narcan to negate the drugs.
Other signs include pale skin (especially on face), blue lips, fingers, and skin, shallow breathing and unrousable sleep.
If you or any of your friends do opiates (even casually), buy yourself some narcan. $40 at a CVS is definetly worth their life. Also, KEEP IT SOMEWHERE EASY TO REACH. Dont keep it in your sock drawer. Keep it ontop of your fridge or somewhere everyone in your house will know the location.
I just wanna emphasize again how my friend was not a longtime or heavy user. Death can happen to anyone at any time when you factor in opiates. He was so young, smart, and full of life.
Be smart and love eachother.
