Cocaine intoxication is dangerous because it affects every organ system. It is the second most common cause of drug-related emergency visits, after alcohol. Fatalities from cocaine overdoses saw a 42 percent increase from 1999 to 2014, as noted by NIDA.

Paracetamol is also commonly taken by people who intend to harm themselves (suicide attempts). An overdose is when you take a toxic (poisonous) amount of a drug or medicine. EMedicineHealth does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Alcohol overdoses can lead to unconsciousness, but there are usually signs before this, such as vomiting, seizures or hypothermia. This is because too much alcohol actually poisons the system, and the body may react by trying to get the substance out. Getting help for a drug problem is obviously the best way to prevent overdose in the first place.

Know that certain ways of taking drugs can be riskier than others. Inhaling or injecting drugs may cause them to get to your brain more quickly and also increases your chance of using an amount that can severely harm you. Thirty years after the U.S. opioid crisis began — and a decade after fentanyl spread nationwide — the U.S. has made strides developing better and more affordable services for people experiencing addiction. Medications that reduce opioid cravings, including buprenorphine and methadone, are more widely available, in part because of insurance coverage provided by Medicaid. In many states, roughly $50 billion in opioid settlement money paid out by corporations is also starting to help. Going forward, it’s unclear how the Trump administration’s deep cuts to public health agencies and grants will affect this new addiction safety net.

• Reach out for help for yourself or a loved one by contacting FHE Health now.
• Know that medical and mental health community support is available, and you don’t need to go through this alone.
• The most commonly abused hallucinogen is ecstasy (MDMA), which is popular in raves.

Nationally, 2014 saw a record number of overdose-related deaths, with three out of five resulting from opioid intoxication. This happens because opioids fit into specific receptors that also affect the drive to breathe. If someone can not breathe or is not breathing enough, the oxygen levels in the blood decrease and the lips and fingers turn blue- this is called cyanosis.

CDC Newsroom

New provisional data from CDC’s National Vital Statistics System predict a nearly 24% decline in drug overdose deaths in the United States for the 12 months ending in September 2024, compared to the previous year. This is the most recent national data available and shows a continued steep decline in overdose deaths. Provisional data shows about 87,000 drug overdose deaths from October 2023 to September 2024, down from around 114,000 the previous year. This is the fewest overdose deaths in any 12-month period since June 2020. Street fentanyl has emerged as a leading cause of death among young people in the U.S., age 18 to 45.

What Are The Signs That Somebody Is Overdosing? 13

For some accidental drug overdoses, the local poison control center may recommend home therapy and observation. Because of the potential for problems after some overdoses, syrup of ipecac or other therapies should not be given unless directed by a medical professional. The drug naloxone (Narcan) can also help treat an opioid overdose by blocking opioids’ effects in the body.

Risk factors for overdose

The most commonly abused classes of prescription drugs are opioids, stimulants and depressants. Addressing a substance use disorder can help decrease the chance of a drug overdose. Avoid combining prescription medications with other substances, such as alcohol.

Featured Programs

This type of overdose can cause heart attacks, strokes, and seizures. A drug overdose means that an individual has consumed a toxic amount of a substance. According to the National Harm Reduction Coalition, ingesting too much of one or multiple drugs can harm the body.

An overdose is when a person consumes “over” the recommended or typical dose of a substance. An overdose can be accidental (i.e., you were prescribed a dose of medication, and your body does not handle it as expected), or it may be intentional. Intentional overdosing is perceived as suicidal behavior. Less than five percent (4.8%) of sentenced individuals in this study knowingly misrepresented the drugs they were trafficking.

What Are the Risk Factors for Drug Overdosing?

Drug overdose, ingestion or administration of a drug or drugs in an amount that exceeds recommended levels or quantities typically used, resulting in toxicity. Drug overdose can occur with prescription, over-the-counter, or recreational drugs and can be intentional or accidental. Symptoms vary based on the type of substance and the amount taken. An overdose, often called an OD, is not automatically fatal. In some cases, though, people may refer to someone’s death as “They OD’d on heroin.” This is sometimes a common term in television medical dramas.

Symptoms of an overdose can occur rapidly, but sometimes people can experience a delay in symptoms. In many cases, a person who overdoses generally recovers completely and without lasting physical disability. The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. If one of our articles is marked with a ‘reviewed for accuracy and expertise’ badge, it indicates that one or more members of our team of doctors and clinicians have reviewed the article further to ensure accuracy. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care.

Timely treatment may be the difference between life and death. The side effects of alcohol consumption grow proportionally to the blood alcohol content. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only.

Drug or alcohol overdoses can be life-threatening and require immediate medical assistance. The following are some questions people frequently ask about drug overdose. There are a range of treatments available for different kinds of drug overdose.

The person’s body is unable to metabolize the substance fast enough, causing intoxication. People can overdose on alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription medications and over-the-counter medicine. This theory is discounted by some researchers I talk to, but many addiction experts think it’s a factor. Over the past five years, the U.S. has been losing roughly 110,000 people to fatal drug overdoses drug overdose meaning every year. It’s possible drug deaths are declining in part because a heartbreaking number of people using fentanyl and other high-risk street drugs simply didn’t survive. Individuals can overdose, either intentionally or accidentally, on virtually any drug.