Call 911 right away! It is important to ensure that help is on the way before you do anything else.
If the person can respond, hold off on giving naloxone. Keep watching them until help arrives. If things change, be ready with the dose of naloxone.
Check the person's mouth and throat to ensure that there is nothing blocking their airways. Someone who has overdosed can go in and out of consciousness. Try to keep the person awake.
If you can't find their pulse, try moving your fingers around a bit. If you can’t feel a pulse, start CPR. If they are still breathing but not responding, give naloxone.
Tilt the person's head back while supporting their neck with one hand.
Insert the device in one nostril with the other hand.
Push up briskly on the plunger with your thumb.
If the person is not breathing:
If there is no response after 2–3 minutes, give the person another dose of naloxone and continue to watch them.
Remove yellow caps on plastic tube. Screw on white cone (atomizer).
Remove red cap from the vial. Gently screw the vial into the bottom of the tube.
Spray half the vial up each nostril by pushing the vial up through the tube.
If the person is not breathing:
If there is no response after 2–3 minutes, give the person another dose of naloxone and continue to watch them.
Pop orange top off of the vial and insert the syringe.
Fill the syringe with 1cc of naloxone by pulling down on the plunger.
Note: 1cc=1mL=100u
Insert the syringe into a large muscle and push the plunger in.
If the person is not breathing:
If there is no response after 2–3 minutes, give the person another dose of naloxone and continue to watch them.
Do not go to Step Two (do not remove red safety guard) until you are ready to use EVZIO®. If you are not ready to use EVZIO®, put it back in the case for later use.
To reduce the chance of accidental injection, do not touch the black base of the auto-injector, which is where the needle comes out. If an accidental injection occurs, get medical help right away.
Note: The red safety guard is meant to fit tightly. Pull firmly to remove it. Do not replace the red safety guard after it is removed.
Place the black end of EVZIO® against the outer thigh, through clothing, if needed. Press firmly and hold in place for five seconds. If you give EVZIO® to an infant less than one year old, pinch the middle of the outer thigh before you give EVZIO® and continue to pinch as you give EVZIO®.
Note: EVZIO® will click and make a hissing sound after it is pressed down. This is normal.
If the person is not breathing:
If there is no response after 2–3 minutes, give the person another dose of naloxone and continue to watch them.
Check for a pulse by placing 2 fingers on the side of their neck near their windpipe.
Continue chest compressions until there are signs of movement or until emergency medical personnel take over. It's OK to give naloxone if CPR is ongoing.
Naloxone only works for 30–90 minutes, so it is important to get help on the way. Call 911 and stay with the person until help arrives.
Check the person's mouth and throat to ensure that there is nothing block their airways. If the person vomits, clear their mouth and nose.
Carefully roll the person onto their back. Place one hand on the person's chin, tilt their head up slightly, and pinch their nose closed.
Make a seal around their mouth with your mouth, breathe in, and blow the breath into their mouth.
You should see their chest rise as you deliver the rescue breath and then fall as you remove your mouth from their mouth.
If they wake up, they might be confused. Explain what happened, but make sure you are safe. Some drugs might make a person aggressive.
We know how stressful this can be, but we thank you for taking the time to be trained and using the naloxone when needed. Please take a moment after the crisis has passed and let us know a few details by answering some simple questions. We will not contact you about your answers. We hope to learn more so that we can provide extra support to people in need.
Use the survey below that matches who you are:
Don't forget to get more naloxone to have it available during an emergency.
If you already have other doses on hand, check the expiration date. Naloxone loses its impact over time and with exposure to sunlight, heat, and cold. Expired naloxone will not hurt someone but probably does not work as well.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO CALL 911!
CT Law Protects You!
See an overdose? Call 911 immediately!
The Good Samaritan Law protects people who call 911 seeking emergency medical services for an overdose from arrest for possession of drugs/paraphernalia. It does not protect someone from other charges or stop the police from serving a search or arrest warrant if that was already in process.
Naloxone is a medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Taking too much of an opioid drug (like oxycodone, morphine, heroin, or fentanyl) can slow down or stop breathing.
Naloxone restores normal breathing and consciousness within 1 to 5 minutes after inhaling or injecting. Giving naloxone can prevent death or brain damage from lack of oxygen during an opioid overdose.
Naloxone can be given as a nasal spray or injected through clothing into the big muscle of the thigh, arm, or buttocks.
If your doctor gave you a prescription for naloxone, you can find a pharmacy that carries it in the list below. Pharmacists who have been certified are also able to prescribe naloxone to patients and caregivers in Connecticut. Either way, you should call ahead if possible to make sure a certified pharmacist is on duty, as they will need to give you information and training on its use. Naloxone is not free through pharmacies...they will ask for a copay and go through your insurance company.
Naloxone is also available through Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations (RBHAOs). You can contact them through the link below. Ask when they are available to provide training on how to give naloxone and how you can get it.
View an interactive map of pharmacies that carry naloxone.
Learn more about Regional Behavioral Health Action Organizations (RBHAOs) in Connecticut
Anyone can learn CPR and everyone should. CPR classes will give you the tools and the confidence you need to help in an emergency, and that can be a lifesaver.
Legally prescribed opioids remain the leading cause of opioid overdose and death.
A large percentage of addictions begin with legal opioids prescribed for medical conditions or after surgery. About 80 percent of people who use heroin first misused prescription opioids. Opioids prescribed for pain should be taken only as needed and/or to support other non-addictive pain management options. Talk to a medical provider about other types of pain control measures.
You can find many programs that offer help for getting into treatment and supporting your recovery by looking at the links below. This is just a sampling.
Substance Abuse Support
Addiction Services Bed Availability
Prescription Drugs and Heroin Prevention & Treatment General Resources
Resources for people with Opioid Use Disorder
Connecticut Community for Addiction Recovery
Connecticut Region of Narcotics Anonymous
1-800-563-4086
(this includes detox and treatment for prescription opioids or heroin addiction)
Visit DrugFreeCT.org for more resources
If you'd like to learn more about naloxone, contact any of the programs listed above. Their staff are also available to bring the training to other locations if you'd like to have them present to a planned meeting (for example, PTOs or church groups). Call them with any questions.
If you are planning on filling your prescription for naloxone at a pharmacy, a trained member of their staff will instruct you on how to give a dose. The training will depend on the type of dose they give you. If possible, call ahead to make sure they are on duty.
To learn more about the Syringe Services Program, visit positivepreventionct.org.
To learn more about Fentanyl Testing Strips, view the information sheet from the Connecticut Department of Public Health.
A person who does not wish to be issued a prescription or medication order for an opioid drug may file this Form with a prescribing practitioner. Upon receipt of the Form from the patient, a prescribing practitioner shall document receipt of the Form in the patient's medical record. The patient and the patient's duly authorized guardian or health care proxy may revoke the directive contained in said Form, orally or in writing, for any reason, at any time.
Opioids are drugs that act on the Opioids are drugs that act on the nervous system to relieve pain. When used continuously, they may lead to physical dependence and withdrawal symptoms.
Opioid medications are dangerous because:
Fentanyl is often added to other illicit drugs without people knowing. You can't see it, smell it, or taste it. It has been used illegally in many forms.
Heroin is a type of opioid. Prescription pain relievers and heroin are chemically similar and can produce similar effects. It is highly addictive.
Heroin is made from morphine, a natural substance taken from the seed pod of opium poppy plants in Southeast and Southwest Asia, Mexico, and Colombia. Heroin can be injected, sniffed, snorted, or smoked.
Heroin can be a white or brown powder, or a black sticky substance known as black tar heroin. Common names for heroin include Big H, Horse, Hell Dust, and Smack.
When people inject heroin, they are at risk of serious, long-term viral infections such as HIV, Hepatitis C, and Hepatitis B, as well as bacterial infections of the skin, bloodstream, and heart. All of these diseases are transmitted through blood and other bodily fluids. When people share needles or other drug equipment, they can come in contact with these fluids.
Heroin overdoses have increased in recent years. When people overdose on heroin, their breathing often slows or stops. This can decrease the amount of oxygen that reaches the brain, a condition called hypoxia. Hypoxia can have short- and long-term mental effects and effects on the nervous system, including coma and permanent brain damage.
While prescription opioid misuse is a risk factor for starting heroin use, only a small fraction of people who misuse pain relievers switch to heroin. According to a national survey, less than 4 percent of people who had misused prescription pain medicines started using heroin within 5 years. This suggests that prescription opioid misuse is just one factor leading to heroin use.
NORA is a free app from the CT Department of Public Health that provides information on opioids, recognizing the symptoms of a suspected opioid overdose, and instructions on administering naloxone when needed. Viewers can learn about trainings on naloxone use in CT as well as how to obtain it in their communities. Additional pages provide access on how to prevent an overdose, disposal of medications, and links to treatment and recovery resources.
For Technical Support, please email: ci-customerservice@egov.com
Program Information:
Connecticut Department of Public Health
Office of Injury Prevention
410 Capitol Avenue, MS #11 HLS
Hartford, CT 06134
(860) 509-8251
DPH.OpioidSurveillance@ct.gov
This progressive app contains general information about opioid overdoses, naloxone administration and opioid education.
The information contained is not in any way a substitute for medical care, medical diagnoses, medical treatment or medical advice of any kind.
The information contained in this app is not advice of any kind, including, but not limited medical or legal advice, and should not be treated as such.
You must not rely on the information on this app as an alternative to seeking medical advice from a first responder, medical doctor or other appropriate healthcare provider.
If you have questions about any medical matter you should consult with a medical doctor or other appropriate healthcare provider.
If you think that you may be suffering from a medical condition you should seek immediate medical attention from a medical doctor or other appropriate healthcare provider.
You should never delay seeking medical advice, disregard medical advice, or discontinue medical treatment because of the information contained within this app.
All content, including text, graphics, images and information, contained on or available through this app is for general information purposes only.
The information provided by this app is provided "as is" without any representations or warranties, express or implied.
This app contains links to other websites. The State of Connecticut Department of Public Health is not responsible for the content of any of those websites.
Your privacy is important to the State of Connecticut Department of Public Health (the "Department"). This privacy statement provides information about the personal information that the Department collects, and the ways in which it uses that personal information.
The Department will store the personal information you provide on its secure servers. The only data that is recorded is from the submission of the web surveys for the use of naloxone in the "I Gave Naloxone" section. This data is compiled for statistical purposes.
The Department may update this privacy policy at any time, without notice, by posting a new version of it on this app. You should check this page occasionally to ensure that you are familiar with the current privacy policy.
This app contains links to other websites. The Connecticut Department of Public Health is not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of any third party.