Dr. Ben Weston: How to Recognize Signs of Fentanyl Overdoses and What to Do
Dr. Ben Weston discusses the importance of knowing how to recognize the signs and what to do if someone is overdosing. He notes that overdoses affect every community no matter if it is small, large, rural, or urban. Dr. Weston states “the typical person who overdoses has issues with breathing, and issues with responsiveness.” A few common signs are falling asleep or losing consciousness, slow or weak breathing, limp body, small constricted “pinpoint pupils”, etc. If someone is showing these signs, Dr. Weston says 911 should be called right away. He also notes that the main risks of fentanyl are for the drug user. However, precautions should be taken around unknown substances and drug paraphernalia, but this is not a reason to avoid helping someone in need.