Most Americans unsure of how to respond during a drug overdose

Key takeaways:

• Among respondents, 77% said that they are not trained to treat a drug overdose if one occurred.
• PCPs should leverage their trust with patients to inform them about carrying naloxone, a researcher said.

Most Americans feel they would not be ready to help in the event of a drug overdose, according to the results of a recent survey.

“While these findings are concerning, they also highlight an opportunity to save lives through education and prevention,” Trent Hall, DO, a clinical assistant professor of addiction medicine in the department of psychiatry and behavioral health at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Healio.

The findings come ahead of International Overdose Awareness Day, observed on Aug. 31. The theme for this year’s campaign is “Together We Can,” which highlights the power of communities coming together, according to a press release from the Penington Institute, an Australia-based non-profit that organizes the annual observance event.

The data are also consistent with prior research, as one study showed that just 14.2% of college students in the U.S. knew how to administer naloxone in the event of a drug overdose.

A total of 107,543 drug overdose deaths occurred in the U.S. during 2023. The 3.1% decrease compared with 2022 marked the first time in half a decade that year-over-year overdose deaths declined.

Additionally, drug overdose deaths have increased fourfold over the last 20 years, Hall noted in an institutional release.

The survey, conducted by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center and College of Medicine, asked 1,005 respondents if they have been trained to treat a drug overdose if a family member or friend had a medical emergency.

Overall, 77% of respondents said no.

Last year, the FDA approved over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray — the first naloxone product to be available without a prescription — and nalmefene hydrochloride prescription nasal spray for opioid overdoses.

“We know naloxone works,” Hall said. “However, important work remains to be done in this space.”

Future research “should examine barriers and facilitators of naloxone uptake and improve implementation of naloxone distribution programs,” he added.

Primary care providers have their patients’ trust and they should leverage that relationship to educate patients on the importance of administering available overdose treatments, Hall said.

“They are uniquely positioned to influence people to carry and use naloxone,” he told Healio.

“We know that anyone can witness an overdose. You could be shopping and find someone having an overdose in a bathroom or parking lot,” Hall added. “PCPs can prepare regular people to be lifesaving heroes.”

Naloxone should be administered when someone is unconscious, not breathing and unresponsive when shaken gently, the Ohio State release advised.

Hall explained that by raising awareness of naloxone, “we are empowering millions of Americans to help end the overdose crisis.”

“Together, we can do this,” he said. “I believe that.”

References:

• About the Campaign. Available at: https://www.overdoseday.com/about-the-campaign/. Accessed Aug. 30, 2024.
• Survey finds more than 3 in 4 Americans don’t feel they could help someone suffering an opioid overdose. Available at: https://wexnermedical.osu.edu/mediaroom/pressreleaselisting/overdose-awareness-day. Published Aug. 26, 2024. Accessed Aug. 30, 2024.