S A M H S A Opioid Overdose TOOLKIT: Five Essential Steps for First Responders

Overdose is common among persons who use illicit opioids such as heroin and among those who misuse medications prescribed for pain, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine. The incidence of opioid overdose is rising nationwide. For example, between 2001 and 2010, the number of poisoning deaths in the United States nearly doubled, largely because of overdoses involving prescription opioid analgesics [1]. This increase coincided with a nearly fourfold increase in the use of prescribed opioids for the treatment of pain [2].