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Risk Factors and Prevention Measures

Check out our video on Risk Factors here

Mixing Drugs

Mixing opioids with any other substances can put your loved one at risk for overdose.  Mixing can overwhelm the body – there can be too many chemicals for the body to process. 

Mixing opioids with other depressants such as alcohol or benzodiazepines (“benzos”) is especially dangerous because it multiplies the “downer” effecton the body’s functions. 

ANY mixing is dangerous!  Mixing an upper (like cocaine) with a downer (like heroin) INCREASES overdose risk.

 

Tolerance Changes

Not using for just a few days can greatly reduce the amount of drugs a person’s body is used to and can handle. 

This might happen after someone has been in jail, or if s/he is using again after getting out of a program.

It is important that the person starts slowly and not try to use the same amount s/he did before.

 

Using Alone

If a person is using alone and they overdose, there is no one there to respond or call for help. 

People are at high risk for overdose after not using for a while, which is also when they might be the most secretive or feel the most ashamed that they are using again. 

Let your loved one know that nothing is more important to you than their safety.

Let them know that you know that relapse is a fact of life and that they should not be ashamed or hide it from you.

Ask them to never use alone and let them know that you will try to help them, no matter what.

 

Differences in Strength and Content of Street Drugs (Purity Levels)

Because heroin is illegal, there is no way to regulate it.

Dealers can mix heroin with other substances to “stretch it out,” and the buyer might not know. 

If someone is used to using drugs that are 25% heroin and then uses the same amount but it is 75% heroin, s/he would be at risk for overdose.

Physical Health

Being sick, losing weight, or having decreased liver function can increase someone’s risk of overdose.