Be there for your friends:
Learn how to spot the signs of an opioid overdose, respond to an overdose, and use naloxone to reverse an overdose.
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Recognize & respond
Call 911 right away if you think
your friend is overdosing.
Washington state’s Good Samaritan laws protect you both from prosecution for drug possession.
Recognize & respond
Signs of an opioid overdose
Your friend may be overdosing if they:
Can’t wake up – Even when you call their name or shake them firmly.
Are breathing very slowly or not at all.
Are turning blue, gray, or purple.
Look ashen or feel cold to the touch.
How to help a friend who is overdosing
1
Call 911
If your friend is unresponsive, not breathing, or turning blue or gray, call 911 right away.
2
Give naloxone
Give your friend one dose of naloxone every two to three minutes until their breathing is normal again. They should breathe once every three to five seconds. Do this even if you aren’t sure they took opioids.
3
Give rescue breaths
After you give the first dose of naloxone, lay your friend flat on the ground, tip their chin back, and provide one rescue breath every five seconds.
Check that their chest is rising and falling with each breath that you give.
How to give nasal spray naloxone
1
Open the packaging
Do not test the nasal spray. The canister only has one dose and cannot be reused.
2
Hold the canister
Place your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your first and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.
3
Insert the nozzle into your friend’s nostril
Your fingers on either side of the nozzle should touch the bottom of their nose.
4
Press the plunger all the way
Remove the nasal spray after giving the dose.