Introduction

What is naloxone and why is it important?

Drug overdose continues to be the main cause of death among problem drug users. Heroin or other opioids — often consumed alongside other central nervous system depressants such as benzodiazepines and alcohol — are present in the majority of reported fatal overdoses (¹). Overdose is common among opioid users: many of them have experienced a non-fatal overdose and most have witnessed one. Death from opioid overdose is caused primarily by respiratory depression leading to cardiac arrest.

Opioid overdose deaths can be prevented through timely administration of naloxone, a potent opioid antagonist drug that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid analgesics by binding to the opioid receptors in the central nervous system (see Spotlight: Naloxone). Because of its effectiveness, naloxone is used by emergency personnel worldwide