Overdose
& Poisoning
In the Home
Implementing safety precautions in your home is a starting point for keeping your loved one safe.
1. Keep medications securely stored at all times.
Medications, including over the counter and prescription, should always be kept in their original labeled packaging and securely stored. Don’t store them in places where medications are usually kept; instead place them in a locked cabinet, lockbox, or other location where they can’t be easily accessed.
2. Be vigilant about keeping track of your inventory of pills and refills.
Carefully note when and how much medication has been taken, so you’re aware of how much is left and you can identify if you’re missing any. Even a small number of missing pills can add up over time. If you are helping someone else with medication, keep a log of what they take and when their refills should be, or portion out the medications for a week and store the remaining away. You may also assist with or monitor pharmacy visits to ensure that medications are not filled prior to their scheduled time, or ask the doctor or pharmacist to limit the number of refills or quantity of medication filled.
3. Dispose of unused, unwanted, or expired medications.
The best way to dispose of medications is to drop them off at a local safe disposal site. You can visit the U.S Department of Justice opens in a new window to find ones near you. If you’re not able to get to a disposal site and your medicine is on the FDA flush list opens in a new window, your next-best option is to immediately flush potentially dangerous medicine down the toilet. If the medication you wish to dispose of is noton the FDA flush list, you should follow the FDA’s instructions to dispose of most medicines at home opens in a new window.
4. Use the proper containers.
Always use products with child-resistant caps but remember they are not childproof. Keep products in their original labeled containers and be sure to read the entire label before every use.
5. Be aware of poisonous substances.
Poisons are any substance that in a high enough quantity can cause illness, injury, or death when ingested, inhaled, injected, or absorbed through the skin. Poisons include many household cleaners and some plants. Take an inventory of the plants inside and outside of your home and consider removing those that are poisonous. You can find a list of poisonous plants from the National Capital Poison Center here opens in a new window. If you have a poison emergency and the victim has collapsed or is not breathing, call 911. If the victim is awake and alert contact Poison Control opens in a new window right away. Help is available online by visiting poison.org opens in a new window or by phone at 1-800-222-1222. Both options are free and confidential.
6. Maintain working carbon monoxide detectors.
Carbon monoxide is a deadly gas that you cannot hear, smell, or see. Every home with at least one fuel-burning appliance (e.g., a furnace, clothes dryer, gas stove, or grill) should have a carbon monoxide detector installed on each floor of the home. To learn more about how to install and maintain a carbon monoxide detector, visit the U.S Environmental Protection Agency opens in a new window website.
7. Review the steps to respond to a suspected drug overdose.
Taking drugs (legal, illegal, prescribed, or over the counter) in amounts higher than necessary or recommended can lead to overdose, injury, or death. It’s important to identify the signs of an overdose and act quickly. Signs and symptoms of overdose depend on a variety of factors including what drug was taken, how much was taken, how it was taken, the person’s age, and more.
- Passing out or loss of consciousness
- Severe chest pain
- Seizures
- Severe headaches
- Abnormal or difficulty breathing
- Nausea and vomiting
- Changes in body temperature
- Changes in skin color (pale bluish tint or flushed red tint)
- Fast, slowed, or irregular pulse
It’s important to identify the signs of overdose and act quickly. It can be difficult to tell whether a person is under the influence or experiencing an overdose. If you’re not sure, it’s best to treat it as an overdose and follow the steps below:
- Call 911 immediately. All you have to say is “someone is unresponsive and not breathing” and provide an address and/or description of your location.
- If you know the individual has taken opiates, you can administer Naloxone opens in a new window, if available.
- Try to keep the person awake and breathing, perform rescue breathing if needed.
- Put the person in the recovery position opens in a new window on their side.
- Stay with the person until emergency responders have arrived.
For additional information view this infographic opens in a new window from the National Harm Reduction Coalition.
- DON’T hit or try to forcefully wake or move the person – it will only cause further injury. If you’re unable to wake the person by shouting, rubbing your knuckles on their sternum, or light pinching, it’s likely they have lost consciousness.
- DON’T put the person in a cold bath or shower. This increases the risk of falling, drowning, or going into shock.
- DON’T try to make the person vomit. This increases the risk of choking or inhaling vomit into the lungs and can cause fatal injury.
Naloxone opens in a new window (brand name: Narcan) is a safe and effective medication that can quickly reverse an opioid overdose. It can be injected into the muscle or sprayed into the nose to rapidly block the effects of the opioid on the body. Due to its lifesaving abilities, all law enforcement, practitioners, providers, family, and friends that may encounter an individual who uses opiates are recommended to carry it. Similar to how you might have an EpiPen on hand if you have a known allergy, households with known opiate use should have Naloxone on hand, or at least know how to get it when needed. You can obtain Naloxone from most pharmacies, without a physician’s prescription, and often at no cost with insurance.
This video opens in a new window offers additional information.
Additional Resources
The following websites provide more information on overdose and poisoning prevention: