Thank you to Hollywood Health and Society
for sponsoring this video. Hey there! Welcome to Life Noggin. Drug overdoses are a serious problem. There were more than 67,000 drug overdose
deaths in the United States in 2018 alone. Overdose is the top cause of death for people
under 50 in U.S.—killing more people than car accidents or homicides—and is one the
largest health crises our country has ever faced. Opioids are a significant driver of drug overdose
deaths. In 2018, they played a part in nearly 70%
of fatal overdoses. So just what are opioids? The term refers to a class of pain relieving
drugs including everything from prescription medicines such as oxycodone and morphine,
to drugs like heroin that are illegal in the U.S. When used correctly and under the guidance
of a healthcare professional, prescribed opioids can be extremely helpful in relieving pain. However, if you take too much, or if you use
illicit drugs, you risk an overdose. And to make matters worse, two very powerful
and dangerous opioids called fentanyl and carfentanil are today commonly found in a
large range of street drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA. Anyone who uses opioids can experience an
overdose, but certain things can increase risk, like combining opioids with alcohol
or other drugs, Doing so increases the risk of respiratory depression. If you combine alcohol with another depressant,
like opioids, the two substances work to intensify the negative effect. Opioids slow down the central nervous system,
including breathing. Alcohol is classified as a Central Nervous
System depressant, meaning that it slows down brain functioning and neural activity. Other things that can increase the risk of
overdose is taking higher daily doses or more than was prescribed, buying drugs on the street,
as well as certain medical conditions. A high dose of opioids can cause you to stop
breathing completely. In short, respiratory failure is where enough
oxygen doesn’t reach the heart, brain, or rest of the body. In an overdose, there is an excessive effect
on the portion of the brain regulating respiratory rate, resulting in respiratory depression
and eventually death. The typical symptoms seen in overdose are
pinpoint pupils, respiratory depression, and a decreased level of consciousness.” While effects can vary, signs that a person
is going through an overdose include a weak pulse and clammy skin. They may also show bluish skin around the
lips, small pupils, and experience low breathing. Opioid overdoses don’t have to be deadly,
and there are things that can be done to help save the life of someone experiencing an overdose. A big thing is to get air into the person’s
lungs. If you know how to do it, you can perform
artificial respiration (“rescue breathing”) on the person until help arrives. You may want to use a shield or a piece of
cloth over your mouth. One can actually reverse overdose with a medicine
called naloxone. Between 1996 and 2014, a survey from the CDC
reported that over 26,000 overdoses were reversed by everyday people equipped with naloxone
kits. That’s why it’s important that more places
and people have access to naloxone—because it can really save lives. But just what is naloxone? Naloxone is a type of medication that can
safely reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist—meaning
that it binds to opioid receptors and can reverse and block the effects of other opioids. It can very quickly restore normal respiration
to a person whose breathing has slowed or stopped as a result of overdosing with heroin
or prescription opioid pain medications. One of the effects it blocks is the depression
of the central nervous system and respiratory system, allowing an overdose victim to breathe
normally. While it only works on opioid overdoses, it
is safe to use, causing no harm if opioids are not present. Administering naloxone nasal spray is easy. In fact, it was designed to be used at home
without any medical training. The goal is to gently get a dose of naloxone
into a person’s nasal passageway while tilting their head back and supporting their neck. It’s best to continue rescue breathing while
you wait for naloxone to take effect. Make sure to stay with the person until help
arrives. Naloxone is also available in a liquid form
that you can administer with an injection in a muscle or skin. This is easy to do once someone has shown
you how. The medicine can be injected quickly even
through someone’s pants or shirt. Learn more about preventing overdose death
and naloxone by checking out the links in the description. We’ll put a quick naloxone start guide,
along with an overdose prevention resource from the CDC down below as well. So are there any other drugs you want us to
talk about? Let me know in the comment section below. Thank you so much to Hollywood Health and
Society who sponsored this video. To find out more about what they do and see
how you can help their great causes, click the link in the description. As always my name is Blocko, this has been
Life Noggin. Don't forget to Keep On Thinking!
