How do I recognize and respond to a fentanyl overdose?

Signs of a Fentanyl Overdose

  • Unconsciousness or inability to awaken.
  • Slow or shallow breathing or difficulty breathing such as choking sounds or a gurgling/snoring noise from a person who cannot be awakened.
  • Discolored skin (especially in nails or lips).
  • Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils” that don’t react to light.

How to Respond to a Fentanyl Overdose 

  • Administer an overdose reversal medication like naloxone* (if available) and call 911.**
  • Try to keep the person awake and breathing.
  • Lay the person on their side to prevent choking.
  • Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives.

* Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of opioid overdose and save lives. It is available in all 50 states and over the counter – you don’t need a prescription.

** Most states have laws that may protect a person who is overdosing or the person who called for help from criminal penalties.

“What to Do If You Think Someone Is Overdosing.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/response/index.html

This is a lethal dose of fentanyl
What is fentanyl?