By Chris Smith, Hunter Harrison and Dave Lucas, Vital Strategies Overdose Prevention Program (OPP)
In the United States more than 40% of people say they know someone who has died of an overdose – an astounding statistic that speaks to how widespread the crisis has become. But the good news is that everyone has the power to save lives by carrying naloxone, a lifesaving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose within minutes.
In most cases of overdose reversal, the action is taken by someone who knows the person whose life is at risk. This highlights the importance of carrying naloxone, but it is only the first step. People should be prepared to act quickly and administer naloxone in response to an overdose, and also perform rescue breathing. With this in mind, Vital Strategies partnered with production company Greener Media to design a four-minute animated overdose response training video. The training, produced in both English and Spanish, aims to empower bystanders to respond to an overdose with confidence and compassion.
To create the instructional video, Vital Strategies and Greener Media sought input from people with direct experience of overdose, such as harm reduction program staff, pharmacists, EMS providers, physicians and nurses. Viewers can learn to identify the signs of an overdose, how to use naloxone, and how perform rescue breathing.
With the availability of over-the-counter naloxone and given the rapidly changing unregulated drug supply, it is important to train people to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose. By emphasizing appropriate naloxone dosing and rescue breathing, the goal of this publicly available video is to help bystanders recognize and reverse overdoses as effectively as possible. Regardless of changes in the drug supply, these lifesaving instructions will remain relevant.
Though the U.S. Food and Drug Administration requires that the labeling of an over-the-counter medication contain complete instructions for its use, being ready to reverse an overdose requires mental and emotional preparation not easily conveyed by a drug label. With the simple, stepwise instructions presented in this video, using naloxone and performing rescue breathing should not feel complicated or intimidating. Health departments, schools, community groups, and individuals can share this easy-to-use instructional video so that more people feel better prepared to save a life.
To access and download unbranded versions of the training in both English and Spanish, click here.
About Vital Strategies’ Overdose Prevention Program
Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. Our overdose prevention program works to strengthen and scale evidence-based, data-driven policies and interventions to create equitable and sustainable reductions in overdose deaths. Work across seven U.S. states is supported by funding from the Bloomberg Philanthropies Overdose Prevention Initiative, launched in 2018, and by targeted investments from other partners.