More than 3 of 4 people don’t know how to help an OD victim People in overdose should be administered an OD-reversing nasal spray The reversal drug is harmless if a person isn’t suffering an OD MONDAY, Aug. 26, 2024 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S.
opioid epidemic has caused a startling number of overdose deaths, but a new survey shows that most Americans still have no idea how to help an OD victim. More than 3 in 4 people (77%) said they would not know how to respond if they saw someone having an overdose, according to from Ohio State University. “While I'm not surprised about this result, I am deeply concerned because we know that the more of us who are prepared to save a life, the more lives we can save,” said , an addiction medicine physician at Ohio State.
Overdose deaths have increased fourfold over the past two decades in the United States, Hall said. An estimated 293 people die from a drug overdose every day, making it the leading cause of accidental death in the United States, according to the National Center for Health Statistics. Two FDA-approved drugs are now available to reverse an overdose caused by like heroin or fentanyl, experts noted.
and nalmefene, sold under the brand names Narcan and Opvee, are simple-to-use nasal sprays that block the effects of opioids on the brain and body. However, most people say they wouldn’t be comfortable administering the drugs, the survey found. “Some people tell me that they're nervous or uncomfortable with the idea of .