For International Overdose Awareness Day
31 August 202431 August International Overdose Awareness Day is held (International Overdose Awareness Day). It is an opportunity to raise awareness about the harm that drugs cause to our society, to eliminate prejudice against all those who have experienced the harmful effects of overdose on themselves, their loved ones or acquaintances; to acknowledge the grief experienced by friends and families of overdose victims. This date is also a day of remembrance for those who have fallen victim to drugs and a good opportunity to highlight the experience of those who have successfully overcome drug addiction on their own or with the help of professionals and their loved ones.
The result of the use of psychoactive (narcotic) substances is their specific interaction with opiate receptors in the central nervous system, which leads to a decrease in the threshold of pain sensitivity, the emergence of a very powerful and sudden feeling of happiness - euphoria ("high").
One of the properties of drugs is their ability to cause addiction (tolerance). When addiction develops, a larger dose of the drug is required to continue to achieve the desired effect of the drug.
Continuously increasing the dose increases drug dependence and very often leads to overdose, which disrupts the functioning of the most important internal organs: the brain, liver, heart, lungs and kidneys. The risk of overdose exists for both experienced users and beginners.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of deaths from overdoses of medications/psychotropic drugs and street drugs has continued to increase over the past decade, and has increased 1.6 times over the past 12 years.
When people talk about drug overdose, opioids are the most commonly used substance, given their prevalence, particularly in the form of prescription painkillers. Opioids are psychoactive substances derived from the opium poppy or their synthetic analogues, which are responsible for 76% all drug-related deaths worldwide. Examples include morphine, heroin and synthetic opioids, which are significantly more toxic and potent than heroin. Globally, the number of people suffering from opioid addiction is around 15 million.
Signs of overdose (use) of depressants (opiates):
- slowed surface breathing;
- pupil constriction (pinpoint pupils);
- blue lips and fingertips, pale and dry skin;
- a decrease in heart rate, a drop in blood pressure and a weakening of the pulse;
- pronounced muscle relaxation (outwardly manifested in slowed movements, bending of the knees, numbness, a person freezes for a long time in a certain position - a characteristic squatting posture;
- impaired consciousness (from drowsiness to complete lack of consciousness);
- speech impairment (slurred speech);
- nausea, vomiting.
The introduction of a "cocktail" of several drugs (in one syringe), the simultaneous use of different drugs (opiates, dimedrol, barbiturates, alcohol, etc.) is the most common cause of death in overdose.
Overdosing on so-called club drugs and stimulants (MDMA, cocaine, amphetamine, etc.) is also dangerous, especially when using low-quality drugs or when they contain other impurities. According to CDC statistics, cocaine was the cause of 23% of all overdose deaths (data in the US for 2021).
Long-term abuse of stimulants affects the entire body. Their effects can vary greatly depending on many factors, such as individual health problems, type of stimulant, route of administration and dosage.
Signs of overdose (use) of stimulants (cocaine, amphetamines, etc.):
- Panic, fear of death;
- severe throbbing headache, feeling of compression, chest pain;
- motor disorders (the victim cannot find his or her place, is fidgeting);
- increased heart rate, increased blood pressure (which leads to stroke in case of cocaine overdose);
- skin moisture;
- foaming at the mouth;
- nausea, vomiting;
- pupil dilation.
As a result of both types of overdose, pulmonary and cardiovascular diseases develop, and if timely treatment is not provided, the hospitalisation results in death due to respiratory arrest. Drug use also significantly reduces life expectancy as a result of increase in the concomitant incidence of HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and other socially dangerous diseases.
It is worth noting that drug abuse degrades a person as a person, loses social activity and, accordingly, its significance in society.
Currently, it is widely believed that addiction to psychoactive substances is just a habit, a desire for pleasure and an unwillingness to stop using due to lack of willpower. However, from a medical point of view, addiction refers to a person's mental and physical state, in which the body has already adapted to the drug and needs its constant presence and an increase in the dose to achieve the effect.
If you suddenly stop taking drugs, then psychophysical symptoms, known as withdrawal symptoms, occur. This is a sharp reaction of the body due to the lack of the drug in the blood, which causes unbearable suffering. Painful sensations, mental confusion increase every day, the body literally breaks down, so the withdrawal syndrome is popularly called drug withdrawal. Only a drug will help to quickly alleviate the condition, which again leads to a breakdown.
The main characteristics of drug withdrawallasts from a week to a month; increases drug tolerance; occurs at the stage of physical dependence; length of use negatively affects the intensity of the syndrome; can lead to death and negative consequences for others.
Therefore, it is difficult to stop using drugs on your own, and it is safer and more predictable in terms of the outcome to seek treatment from specialists.
How to prevent an overdose?
Of course, the best thing is not to use drugs! However, for those who have to take psychotropic medications as prescribed by a doctor or continue to use street drugs, experts recommend following a harm reduction strategy to prevent overdose:
1) Do not use drugs on your own;
2) use a small amount of the substance for the "test";
3) If you decide to increase the dosage, do it slowly;
4) Avoid mixing drugs and using different additives;
5) limit their use during illness or in the presence of a concomitant disease;
6) drink plenty of water;
7) use the method of use that takes the longest to absorb the substance (in ascending order: intranasal, injection, smoking, oral).
Alla TROKAY, municipal hygiene specialist at the VN(s)PES
