Important steps you can take to prevent overdose
In 2018, 888 people in Baltimore lost their lives to overdose. They were friends, parents, children, and valued members of our community. Most of the overdoses were due to opioids, especially fentanyl. If you or a loved one uses drugs, there are important steps you can take to prevent overdose.
Practice harm reduction and take steps to reduce the risk of overdose:
- Learn to recognize the signs of an overdose. (A link to an external site)
- To reduce the risk of overdose:
- Always carry naloxone
- Don’t use alone
- Go slow (A link to an externa; site)
- Test your drugs. Most overdoses in Maryland involve fentanyl. Get fentanyl test strips and/or drug testing kits to reduce risk (A link to an external site).
Call 911 for help with an overdose
If you are helping with an overdose, it’s best to call 911 for medical help – even if you’ve administered naloxone.
When you call to 911 to help someone who is overdosing, The Good Samaritan Law offers some protections.
The Good Samaritan Law DOES:
- Apply to you, even if you are on probation, parole or pre-trial release
- Protect against arrest and prosecution for some misdemeanors, including:
- Possessing or using drugs/drug paraphernalia
- Providing alcohol to minors
- Underage possession of alcohol
- Protect the person overdosing from prosecution
The law DOES NOT:
- Protect other people at the scene if they aren’t helping with the medical emergency
- Protect against open warrants
Learn more:
Baltimore Harm Reduction Resources:
- Bmore POWER (A link to an external site) is a grassroots harm reduction group that is part of BHSB that provides street outreach, naloxone and information to at risk communities in Baltimore.
- The Baltimore City Health Department has a Community Risk Reduction Van (A link to an external site) that offers needle exchange services, naloxone, fentanyl test strips and other harm reduction resources. Find additional information on the Staying Alive Don’t Die website.
- Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition (A link to an external site) providers harm reduction resources and mobilizes community members to advocate for the health, dignity and safety of people targeted by the war on drugs.
- Charm City Care Connection (A link to an external site) is a recovery and wellness center that offers drop in support for people who use drugs. They also offer free syringe delivery anywhere in Baltimore, call (301) 615 2193 to learn more.