Current Substance Use Trends
Overdose Risk Factors
Name that drug!
Harm Reduction
100
This is the name for a type of drug that is made in a lab, not naturally occurring
Synthetic drugs
100
Engaging in what practice(s) can reduce your risk of overdose (Hint: it has its own category in this jeopardy game)
Harm Reduction
100
This type of substance can be treated using methadone, suboxone, brixadi/sublocade, and Vivitrol
Opiates (Heroin, fentanyl, Percocet, etc.)
100
This is the easiest strategy to reduce the risks from polysubstance use
Only use one substance at a time!
200
This is the name of a tranquilizer that can be found in the current drug supply that causes skin lesions.
Xylazine
200
This is a risk factor because the individual likely has a reduced tolerance
Release from detox, treatment, or jail
200
This is the most commonly misused substance that has long-lasting impacts on every major organ system of the body, particularly the liver
Alcohol
200
These are the signs of an overdose, and indicate that you should administer naloxone (Narcan) if available
- Unable to respond to talk or touch
- Slow, irregular, or no breathing- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Blue or grey skin
- Slow, irregular, or absent heartbeat
300
This is a risk of any street drugs in 2025, especially pressed pills. A way to minimize this risk is to use testing strips.
Unknown Purity of Substances
The content and purity of street drugs is always unpredictable. They are often “cut” with other drugs or materials that can be dangerous. You can’t tell how pure your drugs are from looking at it, and purity levels are always changing, which means you can do a shot that’s a lot stronger than what you are used to and put yourself at risk of an overdose.
Same goes for prescription drugs—while we may know the contents of the pill and the dosage, we may not know how strong one type of pill is compared to another of a similar type. For example an Oxycontin is not the same as a Vicodin, even though both are in the opioid family.
Knowing the strength and understanding dosage when taking pills is as important as knowing the strength and purity of street drugs like heroin.
300
True or False: Cocaine (or any stimulant) can help to reduce the risk of overdose because it "cancels" out the depressant effects of opiates.
FALSE!
While it seems intuitive that combining a stimulant and a depressant would counterbalance the different effects, actually, people who speedball are at higher risk for overdosing than people who use heroin or cocaine alone. This is likely because:
- the body has to process more drugs;
- the stimulant causes the body to use more oxygen while the depressant reduces the breathing rate, and
- people who speedball usually inject more frequently with less time between shots than people who are using only heroin.
300
Overdose from this type of substances can include, nausea and vomiting, chest pain, high temperature (sweating and chills), irregular breathing/shortness of breath, racing pulse, convulsions, stroke, extreme anxiety, paranoia, hallucinations
Stimulants: Cocaine, methamphetamine, etc.
300
Demonstrate the position that you can place someone who is overdosing (only if they are breathing)
400
Name at least 4 synthetic drugs
Opioids: fentanyl, carfentanyl
Stimulants: methamphetamine
Hallucinogens: 3MMC, MDPV, bath salts
Cannabinoids: K2/Spics, CBD oil
Dissociatves: PCP, ketamine
400
True or False: You are at higher risk of overdose if you have overdosed before.
True!
This is because people who have overdosed before may have drug use patterns that put them at risk for an overdose in the future. In addition, experiencing a nonfatal overdose may cause damage to the body even if the person survives the overdose.
One study found that people who had experienced a non-fatal overdose experienced other harms, including: physical injury sustained when falling at overdose, burns, assault while unconscious, peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage, numbness/tingling), vomiting, temporary paralysis of limbs, chest infections and seizure.
400
This is the second most common misused substance. Depending on method of administration, it can increase risk of overdose due to the damage it causes to the lungs
Nicotine: Smoking Tobacco/Vaping
400
These are strategies you can use to reduce risk of overdose when you have decreased tolerance
Do a tester shot ("low and slow") and use a different method (i.e. snort instead of inject)
Note: use less when you are sick or you haven't used- even a few days of abstinence or decreased use can lower your tolerance.
500
List at least 4 risks of synthetic drugs
New substances are being developed and disseminated constantly, making it difficult to track use and the impact and wide variation of effects.
Negative effects range from psychosis, anxiety, rapid heart rate, elevated blood pressure, violent behavior, vomiting, and suicidal ideation agitation to increased heart rate and cardiac problems and seizures. Long-term impact still unknown lead to addiction, withdrawal and potentially prolonged psychosis
500
These medical concerns can increase your risk of overdose
Liver, Heart & Lung Problems
Liver health, negatively impacted by hepatitis, plays an important role in overdose. When your liver not properly functioning, it can’t process drugs and alcohol as easily, leading to “build-up” of drugs in your system, which can be toxic and make the effects of certain drugs last longer than they should.
Depressants cause your breathing to slow down, poor lung function decreases the body’s capacity to replenish the oxygen supply, which is essential for a person to survive an overdose. Someone should use less when they are sick or recovering from an illness.
500
This substance has the withdrawal symptoms of headache, mood swings, sweating, shaking, loss of appetite, loss of sleep, irritability.
Marijuana
500
200 points: This harm reduction strategy ensures that if you do overdose, you receive medical attention to prevent fatal overdose.
Full 500 points: name a resource available if you are unable/ do not want to use the harm reduction strategy above.
Never use alone!
If you do plan on using alone, use online/virtual resources to ensure safety such as:
- MA SafeSpot Hotline
- Canary Overdose Prevention App