[Meredith] I knew that my sister had been taking too many painkillers after her surgery and I told her how dangerous that was. I had no idea how bad it had become. I can't believe that she almost died. [Man] For me it is personal. Our family was touched by overdose and my young cousin died of an opiate overdose that was preventable. [Narrator] Opioid overdose is a serious problem and can happen to anyone -- your sister in the suburbs or the family member of a healthcare professional. It is important to become educated about opioids and opioid overdose, including how to reverse an overdose. This video includes important training information and also reenacts a real-life scenario where naloxone was used to save a life. Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Thousands of people are now carrying this medication and lives are being saved every day. But what is an opioid overdose? Opioids include heroin and prescription pain medications like: Vicodin, Oxycontin, percocet, dilaudid, fentanyl, MS Contin, and methadone. Opioids are strong drugs that can have serious risks including overdose. [Dr. Banta-Green] An opioid overdose happens when you take more opioids than your body can handle and your breathing slows down and eventually can stop. And so what that typically looks like is someone going to sleep. It can be a very quiet phenomenon. [Narrator] Certain things put people at higher risk for an overdose. Many fatal overdoses are the result of mixing combinations of drugs. Using opioids with any other drug that also slows down your breathing, like alcohol, other opioids, sleeping pills, or anxiety medications, can overwhelm the body. But using opioids that slow down breathing with stimulants like cocaine and amphetamines that increase your need for oxygen can also strain the body. Another major risk is using opioids after having stopped use for a period of time. After a disruption from using opioids, tolerance goes down the longer opioids are out of the system. Sometimes those breaks are unplanned, as a result of being in the hospital or jail. Oher times those breaks are planned -- after detox or if someone is just trying to quit on their own. Regardless, when someone tries to take the same amount of opioids they did following a break, their tolerance has declined which may result in an overdose. Again there are many different risks for an overdose, such as using opioids with other drugs using after a break in use, using more opioid pain medication than prescribed, using someone else's pain medication, using heroin or pills from the street where the strength and actual content are unknown and unpredictable, other ongoing medical problems, and people who have overdosed before are more likely to overdose again. Many people also use alone, which increases the chance of dying from an overdose since no one is there to help. [Dr. Banta-Green] Oftentimes how overdoses are portrayed in TV shows or movies are at these sort of wild, loud, scary, noisy, thrashing-around situations and that's really not what most overdoses look like. And it's certainly is not what an opioid overdose looks like. An opioid overdose is a quiet phenomenon that can easily be missed. [Narrator] An overdose can take minutes or even a few hours after you've used opioids. You may just start out feeling sleepy, but eventually you could pass out and stop breathing. Being aware of the risks and signs of an overdose can be the difference between life and death. [Meredith] So I just sat there at that coffee shop getting more and more frustrated until it hit me that something might actually be wrong. I got in my car, I drove over there. I'm really glad that I did and I'm so glad that I had naloxone and that I knew how to use it. [Narrator] An overdose can be frightening but being prepared and trained like Meredith will help. The following reenactment shows exactly how to handle an overdose in real life. [Woman] Mindy? Mindy! Mindy! Mindy! Mindy, Mindy, Mindy. Mindy, wake up. [Narrator] If you think someone has overdosed on opioids you need to act quickly. First try to wake them up. [Woman] Mindy, wake up! [Narrator] Shake them and shout their name. [Woman] Mindy. Mindy, can you hear me? [Narrator] If they don't respond, rub your knuckles hard up and down their breastbone. [Woman] Mindy, come on! [Narrator] If they don't wake up, call 911 immediately. Even if you have naloxone, call 911. There could be something else wrong. [Woman] Yes, I need an ambulance for my sister. I'm at, um. . .she's not breathing. [Narrator] If you have naloxone, give it. If someone is with you, they can call 911 while you get the naloxone. [Woman] Okay, okay, here we go. Come on. [Narrator] An opioid overdose is due to a lack of oxygen. A person who is overdosed on opioids needs oxygen. Naloxone can take two to three minutes to work, so you need to breathe for the person. Tilt their head back, lift the chin, and pinch the nose. Give one full breath every five seconds. Their chest should rise and fall. If they don't wake up in two to three minutes, give a second dose of naloxone. Keep rescue breathing until the person wakes up or medical help arrives. The most important step is to call 9-1-1, even if you are worried about any illegal drugs at the scene. If you are trying to help in an overdose, the Washington state 9-1-1 Good Samaritan Law says that neither you nor the overdose victim can be charged with minor drug possession. [Officer] Hi, is everything all right? [Woman] Yeah, yeah. [Overdose victim] Yeah, I'm okay. [Officer] It looks like you, uh, administered some naloxone already. How long ago did you do that? [Woman] Just right after I called you, like ten minutes. [Officer] Do you call an ambulance already? [Woman] I called 9-1-1. [Officer] Okay. Six- ocean-forty-two, I need an ambulance to my location. Obvious signs of drug use. naloxone was administered. Our primary job is to help people. We're not there to arrest anybody. We want to help give aid to the person who needs it. [Narrator] When the person wakes up, they won't know they have overdosed and they may feel some symptoms of opioid withdrawal like sweating, nausea, achiness, or anxiety. Calmly explain what happened and that a medical provider should monitor their condition for a while -- at least three to four hours. [Man] Naloxone reverses an opiate overdose by temporarily blocking the opiate receptors in the brain. This is a temporary effect and it can last around 90 minutes. Naloxone is a very safe medication. The only thing it can do is reverse an opiate overdose. If somebody does not have opiates in their system, you will not cause them any harm. It's safe in pregnant women and children. In Washington state, anyone is allowed to obtain, carry, and administer naloxone. There are a number of different naloxone products available. They all work equally on reversing an overdose. Anybody that uses opioids or knows somebody that uses opioids, should consider getting training and having access to a naloxone kit. It's really no different than being prepared by having a fire extinguisher in your house or getting CPR training. Many pharmacies in Washington state, as well as community programs, are providing the naloxone kits. To find a location, you can visit stopoverdose.org.