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In case of Emergency

Drugs are unpredictable - the same drug can affect different people in different ways. In an extreme case a friend may collapse unconscious after taking a drug. A drug can also cause a person to become dangerously hot, or have a seizure, or succumb to heatstroke especially in hot environments or when engaging in aerobic activity, like dancing.

1. Take Action.

If a friend suffers adverse side effects from taking drugs, it may be frightening for you, but it could be life-threatening for your friend. It's vital to be able to recognize that something is going wrong as well as to know what to do in an emergency - quick action can save lives. Read the information given for each drug in the section "If something goes wrong". Also read and remember the procedures on the following pages and encourage your friends to do so as well. Better still, sign up for an accredited first-aid course.

2. Get Help.

If you see someone you think has had a bad reaction to a drug don't hesitate to get help and don't panic.

  • If you're in a club, shout for the security staff and ask for the qualified First Aider.
  • If you're not in a club, Call an ambulance or, better still, get someone else to make the call while you look after your friend.


  • Calling an Ambulance

    Dial 911. Ask for an ambulance and give the following informaiton.

    • The telephpne number you are calling from.
    • Where you are - the name of the club, for example.
    • What's wrong with your friend - they're very hot, or they're collapsed or are unconscious.
    • Don't be afraid to say your friend has taken drugs, and preferably name the drug. The information could save their life.
    • If someone else makes the call, ask that they come back and confirm that it has been done.
    •        

    Has your friend collapsed?

    		  
         

    Do they respond if you shake their shoulders?

    		  
       
           
    THEY ARE NOT UNCONSCIOUS
  • Stay with them until they feel better.
  • If they become very drowsy, CALL AN AMBULANCE. Try to keep them awake while waiting for help.
    		•     THEY ARE UNCONSCIOUS
    Open their airway
  • Tilt their head back and gently lift their chin with your fingers. This stops their tongue falling back and blocking the airway and prevents them from choking.
  • Shout for help.
    •      
           
        Are They breathing?
  • Kneel down and put your cheek close to their face.
  • Can you feel their breath on your cheek, see their chest moving or hear them breathing?
    •        
       
    THEY ARE BREATHING
    Put them in the recovery position
    CALL AN AMBULANCE.
  • Stay with them and keep checking their breathing.
  • If they vomits, clear the vomit away from their mouth and keep their head tilted back so that they can't choke.
  • If they stop breathing, begin resuscitation (see below).
    		•     THEY ARE NOT BREATHING
    Call an ambulance
    (ideally get someone else to call).
    Begin mouth-to-mouth ventilation - this means that you breathe into your friend's mouth to get oxygen into their lungs.
  • Check that there's nothing in their mouth that might cause them to choke.
  • Tilt their head back.
  • Pinch their nostrils shut, seal your lips over theirs and breathe into their mouth; watch their chest rise and fall.
  • Give another breath and then check the pulse on the side of their neck (see below).
    •    
           
           
        Do they have a pulse?
  • Put your index and middle finger on the side of their neck in the hollow between the Adam's apple (or approximate area) and the neck muscle. Can you feel a pulse (the throb felt in an artery with each heartbeat)?
  • If there is a pulse, continue mouth-to-mouth ventilation (see above), rechecking for a pulse every minute.
  • If you can't feel a pulse, the heart has stopped beating and you need to start chest compressions (see below).
    •        
         
    THEY HAVE NO PULSE
    Begin CardioPulmonary Resuscitation
  • Put your index and middle fingers on the lower breastbone (the bone where the ribs meet), and the heel of your other hand against the fingertips.
    		•    
       
  • Remove your two fingers from the chest. Put the heel of this hand on top of the other and interlock your fingers.
  • Press down on the chest with the heel of your hand (to a depth of about 4-5 cm). Do this 30 times.

     

     

     

  • Then give two breaths of mouth-to-mouth ventilation (see above). Repeat chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth ventilation until help arrives.

     

    		•     
    If successful CPR is dependent on a defibrillator arriving, are there any portable defibrillators available?

     Portable defibrillators which operate automatically (they are called automated external defibrillators - AEDs) are available and may be purchased without a prescription. They cost around $1500. The training is very simple and takes only minutes. You should talk to your doctor as to whether one of these might be indicated in your situation.

    		 
    QUICK THINKING AND ACTION CAN SAVE LIVES  
           

    Re-printed with permission.

    Copyright © Miriam Stoppard and Dorling Kindersley Ltd
    Find out about more books by Dr. Miriam Stoppard

    Disclaimer: This website provides health and safety information only. We neither condemn nor condone the use of any drug. Rather, we recognize that recreational drug use is a permanent part of our society, and that there will always be people who use drugs, despite prohibition. The drug information we provide, therefore, is meant to assist users in making informed decisions about their use. We do not make the claim, nor do we imply, that the use of any drug can ever be completely safe. All drug use contains inherent risks. We assume no responsibility for how the information on this site is used.
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