Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board

CONTACT INFORMATION: Emergency - 703-573-5679 / Detox - 703-502-7000 (24/7)
703-383-8500 TTY 711
8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Jordan A. Scheff
Executive Director

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What To Do When a Loved One Overdoses

Signs of an Opioid Overdose

  • Shallow breathing or not breathing at all
  • Snoring or gurgling sounds (this can mean that a person’s airway is partly blocked)
  • Slow or no heart rate and/or pulse
  • Face is pale or clammy
  • Bluish purple, or ashen skin color
  • Fingernails turn blue or blue-black
  • Floppy arms and legs
  • No response to stimulus
  • Disorientation
  • Unrousable (can’t be woken up)/unconscious

THIS IS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Get help if you encounter someone with these symptoms.

CALL 911 IMMEDIATELY.

If you can’t get a response from someone, don’t assume they are asleep. Not all overdoses happen quickly and sometimes it can take hours for someone to die. Action taken in those hours could save a life.

Prevention Matters

The best way to prevent overdose is to not use drugs.

Opioid use disorder is a medical condition—it requires care just like any other condition.

Opioid use disorder, or opioid addiction, can be deadly and affect people of any race, gender, income level, or socio-economic background. Opioid addiction includes physical and psychological dependence. The powerful effects of addiction can make it very hard to stop, even if someone wants to. Overdoses can be deadly, but there are steps you can take to keep safe.

Find Treatment

If you or someone you love needs help to overcome drug dependence, call the Fairfax-Falls Church Community Services Board at 703-383-8500.

Or, come in person to the Sharon Bulova Center for Community Health at 8221 Willow Oaks Corporate Drive, Fairfax. No appointment needed. Hours: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.

In an emergency, call CSB Emergency Services at 703-573-5679 or the Fairfax Detoxification Center at 703-502-7000. Both numbers are answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

Overdose Dos and Don’ts

Opioids include: heroin, oxycodone, hydrocodone, methadone, fentanyl, morphine and prescription pain relievers.

An overdose of heroin or opioid painkillers can be lethal. Know what to do in case someone you are with overdoses.

DO

  • Call 911 immediately.
  • Stay with the person.
  • If naloxone (sometimes known by the brand name Narcan) is available and you've been trained to use it, do so. If it's available and you haven't been trained, let the 911 operator know you have it available and ask for instructions.
    • Naloxone is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose.

DON'T

  • Apply "old school" remedies that do not work such as putting the person in a cold bath or becoming physical with them (i.e., kicking, slapping, or punching the individual).
  • Inject them with salt water or stimulant drugs (methamphetamine).
  • Have them walk it off.
  • Sleep it off.
  • Induce vomiting.

Will I get in trouble?

  • Virginia law provides anyone who calls 911 or otherwise alerts the authorities in the case of an overdose a "safe harbor" affirmative defense.
  • Virginia law provides immunity for anyone who administers naloxone in good faith.

Learn More

Learn about opioid overdoses and how to reverse them with naloxone

Miren para aprender sobre las sobredosis de opioides y cómo revertirlas con naloxona

Disclaimer: These videos have been made available for informational and educational purposes only. Viewing these videos does not automatically make you eligible to receive naloxone.

If you would like to receive opioid overdose response instruction, you can register to take the free CSB Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Education training (REVIVE! kit training). Upon completion of that CSB training, residents of Fairfax County and the Cities of Fairfax and Falls Church are eligible to receive a free box of naloxone.

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