Overdose can affect anyone.

In 2018, United States Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome Adams, issued a public health advisory emphasizing the importance of naloxone in savings lives. In this advisory, he recommended the following groups of people carry naloxone and know how to use it:

• Individuals taking high doses of opioids as prescribed for the management of chronic pain
• Individuals taking prescription opioids concurrently with alcohol or sedating medications (i.e. benzodiazepines)
• Individuals misusing prescription opioids or using illicit opioids such as heroin
• Individuals with a history of opioid use disorder
• Individuals completing opioid detoxification
• Individuals recently discharged from emergency medical care following an opioid overdose
• Individuals recently released from incarceration with a history of opioid use disorder
• Family and friends of people who have opioid use disorder
• Community members who come into contact with people at risk for opioid overdose

• Mixing opioids with certain other medicines, illegal drugs, or with alcohol
• Taking opioids after a period of not being on them (recent release from prison/jail, discharge from an opioid “detox” program)
• Taking an opioid called methadone
• Taking high doses of opioids
• Previous opioid overdose
• Having kidney, liver, or breathing problems 

Learn how to use naloxone and connect to information and resources here. 

Yes. In some cases, fentanyl may be so potent that multiple doses of naloxone are required. Incidental skin exposure to fentanyl is very unlikely to harm you. If you believe you may have come in contact with fentanyl, wash your hands with soap and water as soon as you can—especially before eating or touching your mouth or nose (i.e., mucous membranes). 

No. Naloxone only reverses the effects of opioids. Examples of opioids include hydrocodone, oxycodone, fentanyl, morphine, and heroin. However, if an opioid overdose also involved other substances such as alcohol or benzodiazepines, naloxone may help. Naloxone will have no effect on an individual if an opioid is not present in their system. 

Naloxone is a generally safe medication but may cause some individuals to experience withdrawal. Symptoms of withdrawal include confusion, sweating, vomiting, and irritability. Rarely do individuals become combative. 

Yes.  It can also become less effective over time or after being exposed to too much cold, heat or sunlight. Expired naloxone is not harmful, but it has a reduced ability to reverse an overdose. To extend the lifetime of naloxone, it should be stored in a dark and dry place at room temperature. 

If it is the only thing available, yes. Like most medications, the efficacy of naloxone may begin to decline past the expiration date and should be replaced. It is also important to store naloxone at room temperature (59° to 77° F) and protected from direct light. 

No. However, if the individual is dependent on opioids, they may experience increased withdrawal symptoms with repeated doses of naloxone. 

No, naloxone is non-addictive and has no potential for misuse.