Opioid overdose

An opioid overdose can slow or stop a person's breathing. If someone cannot be woken or is not breathing normally, call 911, give naloxone if you have it, and stay with them. Each guide below answers one question, from what to do in the first minutes to what California law covers, and every page lists the sources it relies on.

Learn these steps before you ever face them: our SOS First Aid app on the App Store has a BLS section that covers opioid emergencies, laid out in clear numbered steps.

CDC says nearly 80,000 of the 105,007 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023, about 76 percent, involved an opioid. CDC also says a potential bystander was present in nearly 43 percent of overdose deaths that year. Naloxone is sold over the counter in all 50 states, so a bystander with naloxone and a plan can make a difference.

Guides

• AB 2150: naloxone training for California employersWho the 2026 law covers, who pays, when it starts, and what to do now.›
• What to do if someone is overdosing on opioidsThe steps, in order, with what not to do.›
• Signs of a fentanyl or opioid overdoseHow to tell, what pinpoint pupils and skin color mean, and the xylazine catch.›
• How to use Narcan nasal spray, step by stepThe FDA label steps, when to give a second dose, and what to do after.›
• Narcan or CPR first? What each authority saysCDC, SAMHSA, the AHA and the Red Cross side by side.›
• Narcan side effects, expiration and other factsSide effects, expired Narcan, how long it lasts, fentanyl and over the counter sales.›
• The 2025 AHA BLS steps for opioid overdoseAdult, child and lay rescuer charts, for healthcare students and staff.›
• Can you get in trouble for helping? California lawWhat the Good Samaritan and naloxone laws cover, and what they do not.›
• Where to get free or low cost Narcan near West CovinaPharmacies, CalRx, LA County Library clinics and county programs.›
• CPR and Narcan training in West CovinaThe Red Cross Naloxone Skill Boost for $75, and the classes that cover overdoses.›
• A workplace plan for an opioid overdoseThe kit, who is trained, who calls 911, and what the law says today.›
• Can you overdose by touching fentanyl?What NIOSH and medical toxicologists say, and simple precautions.›

Learn it before you need it

Our SOS First Aid app is the quickest way to start: a pocket study guide for AHA BLS, ACLS, PALS and First Aid CPR/AED built on the 2025 guidelines, with practice quizzes and an AI assistant, for education and reference only (in a life-threatening emergency, call 911). For practice with an instructor, choose Heartsaver First Aid CPR AED ($98), Red Cross BLS ($69) or CPR and Narcan training, or use which CPR class do I need.