No seriously, we need to.

Statistics show that across a four year period, we lose over 160 people across Tasmania, needlessly.

That’s around 40 people a year and this is more than deaths on our roads, with 36 people dying in road accidents in Tasmania in 2017. 

Opioids (eg oxycontin, fentayl, methadone, heroin) are present in the majority of accidental drug related deaths.

The interesting fact is that there isn’t a great deal of heroin in Tasmania, and this has been the case forever.

 Also, the vast majority of deaths occur as a result of combining many drugs at once. 

Someone may take a tablet for pain (oxycontin) prescribed by their doctor, they may then take anti-anxiety medication (valium) and then go out and have a few drinks.

The central feature of all these drugs is that they slow down the central nervous system that controls your rate of breathing.

That’s where the trouble starts and someone’s life can end. 

Especially if they are suffering from isolation and loneliness.

Maybe they don’t have a job, maybe they have a major stress in their life that they are trying to escape or, maybe they miscalculated what they took and when. 

It’s that easy.

Overdose can affect anyone.

So, were you aware that the majority of overdoses are the result of a combination of drugs, with the main contributor being medication prescribed by your doctor and available at a community pharmacy? 

If this is new information then please share it with friends and family and in doing so you may save their or someone else’s life.

August 31 was International Overdose Awareness Day.  

So how can we reduce deaths from accidental overdose?

You are doing it right now - you are reading about it and hopefully you will have a casual conversation with a friend that may save a life.

Overdose is entirely preventable if you know how to lessen risk in the first place and in the unfortunate event, knowing what to do.

Tolerance is a key concept to understanding overdose risk.

If someone uses a drug repeatedly they develop a tolerance to it, meaning that they then need to use more of the drug to get the same effect.

Often risk can accelerate when someone stops using the drug and their tolerance goes down, meaning that if they take their usual amount of drugs after taking a break, it could be too much, causing them to stop breathing and die.

This is why there are certain periods in people’s lives where the risk is markedly increased.

Maybe it’s a birthday party, and they haven’t been intoxicated for quite some time and think “why not”?

That’s where conversations and awareness of people around them can really make a difference.

Ok, so what are the signs of overdose?

There are a range depending on the type of drug, but the main one is non response, and if someone is not responding they need immediate attention.

In some cases it can take several hours for someone to die, so always call an ambulance.

Other signs may include - seizures, severe headaches, chest pain, problems breathing, paranoia and confusion.

Don’t ignore irregular snoring either, this can indicate that the person is having trouble breathing.

Try and wake them, if this doesn’t work, call an ambulance immediately. 

So why don’t overdoses get the same amount of publicity as road deaths, considering that both occur in similar numbers and both are entirely preventable?

Great question. 

It is possible that there are a lot of people out there who think that this is not their problem.

In part it is about awareness of the problem and the capacity of individuals and the community to respond.

If we don’t understand the problem, then how can we respond to it? 

I’d like to thank you for reading this article, and ask that you please have the conversation and raise awareness where you can.

Overdose is preventable and every one of us are part of the solution, the more we know, the more capable we are.

We have a chance to save 160 Tasmanian lives across the next four years, let’s make it happen.