If you think someone may have overdosed, call Triple Zero (000) immediately. Even if you’re unsure what they have taken or whether they have overdosed, getting medical help quickly could save their life.
What should you do if someone has overdosed?
If you suspect someone has overdosed:
- Call Triple Zero (000) immediately
- Check whether they are breathing and follow the instructions given by the emergency call taker.
- Administer naloxone if you suspect an opioid overdose and it’s available
- If they are breathing but unresponsive, place them in the recovery position
- Stay with them and continue monitoring their condition until emergency services arrive
Do not assume someone is safe because they appear to recover. The effects of an overdose can continue or return and they may require further medical treatment.
Recognising an overdose
The signs of overdose vary depending on the substance or combination of substances involved. Some general symptoms to watch out for include:
- Unresponsiveness or unconsciousness
- Slow or irregular breathing, or not breathing at all
- Blue lips or fingertips
- Choking or gurgling sounds
- Seizures or convulsions
- Extreme body temperatures, either high or low
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Extreme agitation
Not every overdose will look the same. If you are concerned that someone has taken drugs or alcohol and is experiencing a serious or unexpected reaction, treat it as a medical emergency and call 000.
How to respond to an overdose
If you believe that someone has overdosed, call emergency services (000) immediately.
Clearly explain the situation and follow any instructions they provide. If you know what substance or substances the person may have taken, tell the emergency call taker. If you don’t know, don’t let that stop you from calling.
Administer First Aid
If they are not breathing – start CPR (if you know how to)
If they are breathing but unresponsive – place them in the recovery position (place them on their side with their top leg bent and their head tilted back slightly.)
Keep monitoring their condition until help arrives. Even if the person seems to recover, stay with them. Overdoses can have a delayed effect and they may require additional treatment.
Can you get in trouble for helping someone who has overdosed?
Fear of getting into trouble can make people hesitate to call for help or cause them to leave when someone has overdosed. Please don’t let this stop you from calling Triple Zero (000).
In Victoria, Good Samaritan protections under the Wrongs Act 1958 protect people who provide assistance, advice or care in good faith during an emergency from civil liability in relation to that assistance.
The priority in an overdose emergency is getting medical help to the person as quickly as possible. Call 000, stay with them and follow the instructions provided by emergency services.
Opioid Overdose
Opioids remain the drug type most frequently recorded in unintentional drug-induced deaths in Australia. In 2024, opioids were involved in 877 unintentional drug-induced deaths, or 41.9% of the total.
Signs of an opioid overdose can include:
- Slow, irregular or stopped breathing
- Reduced consciousness or being difficult to wake
- Blue or discoloured lips or fingertips
- Choking, snoring or gurgling sounds
- Very small pupils
Can naloxone reverse an opioid overdose?
Yes. Naloxone is a medicine that temporarily reverses the effects of opioids and can save someone’s life during an opioid overdose.
Anyone can administer naloxone. It is available as a nasal spray or injection and is free from participating pharmacies and other approved providers through Australia’s Take Home Naloxone Program.
If you suspect an opioid overdose:
- Administer naloxone according to the instructions provided with it
- Call Triple Zero (000) immediately
- Stay with the person until help arrives
Naloxone usually lasts for around 30 to 90 minutes. The effects of the opioid may last longer, meaning the person can overdose again after the naloxone wears off. Calling an ambulance is still essential even if the person appears to recover.
Can you give someone naloxone if you’re not sure they have taken opioids?
Yes. Naloxone is safe to administer even if you are unsure whether someone has taken opioids.
This is increasingly important because opioids can sometimes be mixed into or sold as other drugs without a person’s knowledge.
Harm Reduction Victoria offers free online naloxone training for people who would like to learn how to recognise and respond to an opioid overdose.
Stimulant Overdose
Stimulants such as methamphetamine and cocaine can also cause life-threatening overdose.
Signs of stimulant overdose can include:
- High body temperature
- Chest pain
- Severe agitation
- Confusion
- Hallucinations
- Seizures or convulsions
In 2024, amphetamine-type stimulants were recorded in 772 unintentional drug-induced deaths in Australia, the highest number on record and a 25.1% increase from 2023.
If someone is experiencing serious or unexpected symptoms after using a stimulant, call Triple Zero (000) immediately.
Alcohol Overdose
Alcohol poisoning can be life-threatening. Signs of alcohol overdose can include:
- Vomiting
- Seizures
- Slow or irregular breathing
- Confusion
- Pale or blue-tinged skin
- Unconsciousness or being difficult to wake
Alcohol contributed to 311 unintentional drug-induced deaths in Australia in 2024.
If you suspect alcohol poisoning or overdose, call Triple Zero (000). Don’t assume someone who is unconscious simply needs to “sleep it off”.
Can someone overdose from mixing drugs?
Yes. Taking multiple substances can increase the risk of overdose, particularly when drugs with similar effects are combined. Over the five years to 2024, more than two-thirds (67.8%) of unintentional drug-induced deaths in Australia involved two or more drug types.
Opioids were involved in 79.1% of these poly-substance deaths, while benzodiazepines were involved in 60.7% and amphetamine-type stimulants in 39.5%.
It isn’t always possible to know exactly what someone has taken. If they’re showing signs of an overdose or experiencing a serious reaction, call 000 and tell emergency services whatever you do know.
Overdose in Australia
Australia’s latest overdose data show why knowing how to recognise and respond to an overdose remains so imporant.
According to Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2026, there were 2,596 drug-induced deaths in Australia in 2024, representing 76,887 years of life lost. An average of 31 years of life was lost for every death.
Unintentinal drug-induced deaths have increased substantially over the longer term, Between 2001 and 2024, Australia’s population grew by 41%, while the number of unintentional drug-induced deaths increased by 113.1%.
Overdose also isn’t limited to one particular age group. In 2024, unintentional drug-induced deaths were the third-leading cause of death for Australians aged 20-29 and the second-leading cause for those aged 30-39. They were also the second-leading cause of death among men aged 40-49 and third-leading among women of the same age.
It’s also important to note that overdose frequently involved more than one substance. Across the five years to 2024, 67.8% of unintentional drug-induced deaths involved two or more drug types.
What if you’re not sure someone has overdosed?
You don’t need to know exactly what someone has taken before asking for help.
If someone is unconscious or difficult to wake, isn’t breathing normally, is having a seizure, or is experiencing another serious or unexpected reaction after taking drugs or alcohol, call 000 immediately.
Tell the emergency call taker what you know, follow their instructions, and stay with the person until help arrives.
Overdose is preventable
Knowing the signs of an overdose, understanding how to respond, and having naloxone available where opioids may be used can save lives.
If you think someone may have overdosed, call 000 immediately, even if you aren’t certain. Follow the instructions provided by emergency services, and stay with the person until help arrives.
Getting help quickly could save someone’s life.