Dose of Reality: Safer Use/Harm Reduction
There are steps you can take to lower your chances of an overdose, infection, or other bad outcome from opioid use.
Safety tips
- Make an opioids overdose plan. Talk to family members and friends about what they can do to help you in case of an opioid overdose.
- Do not use opioids alone. If a trusted family member or friend is around and alert, they can look for the signs of an opioid overdose and administer naloxone (the opioid overdose reversal medication) should an opioid overdose occur. If a trusted family member or friend is not available, call Never Use Alone or SafeSpot.
- Do not mix drugs. Combining opioids with other drugs, including alcohol, puts you at greater risk for an opioid overdose.
- Know your physical health. People living with asthma or other breathing problems, kidney issues, liver issues, and HIV are at high risk for an opioid overdose.
Select the option that applies to you for more safety tips.
- Limit your use of the medicine. Unlike antibiotics where taking the entire course of medication is necessary, you should stop taking opioids as soon as your pain subsides. Take only the dose prescribed on the schedule prescribed.
- Don't share your medicine. Opioids were prescribed to you based on your unique needs. A recommended dose for one person could be harmful to another person.
- Safely store your medicine. Leaving opioids on counters or in easily accessible medicine cabinets can lead others to take your opioids without your knowledge. Store your opioids in a safe place out of reach of children and pets. The best spot is a locked box or cabinet.
- Safely dispose of leftover medicine. There is no need to hang onto opioids you did not take. If your pain returns, that's because your body likely has not fully healed and you may need other help to fully recover. Take leftover opioids to a drug drop box.
- Injecting opioids is dangerous. Injecting opioids can increase the risk of overdose and infection. Reusing needles and supplies or sharing them with others increases the chance of a negative outcome, such as contracting hepatitis C or HIV. Not sanitizing the injection site beforehand can lead to infection. Syringe services programs provide access to sterile syringes and supplies, accept used syringes and supplies for safe disposal, and provide testing and treatment for infectious diseases. Find a syringe services program near you.
- Opioids can act fast on your brain and body. This can put you at greater risk of an overdose. People who don’t regularly consume opioids can be at greater risk of an overdose. Those who use opioids from an unknown source are also at greater risk of an overdose if they consume too much.
- Your health matters. Overall health impacts the risk of an overdose. Dehydration, lack of sleep, and hunger can increase the likelihood of an overdose.
Tools
There are many tools that can reduce the harms of opioid use, including drug checking technologies and naloxone.
Drug checking technologies
Drug checking technologies provide information about what substances are in a drug supply. They are available widely in Wisconsin.
Naloxone
Naloxone is the opioid overdose reversal medication. It is available widely in Wisconsin as a nasal spray or an injection.
Safe disposal saves lives
Safely disposing of unused and unwanted medications and used medical supplies helps protect the people around you and your environment. There are many safe disposal options available to everyone throughout Wisconsin.