It is best to try and get Narcan if you can.
Playing around with bup or other junkie myths on reversing an OD is just a waste of time and will lead to a needless death.
That is not pointed at you Snout, just meant to be something for everyone.
With the increased use in opiates for pain and for recreational use, getting Narcan to everyone is essential to preventing overdose.
With the new administration of Narcan nasally, it is easy to get it in to someone without having to draw it up and guess at dosing.
I believe that every patient who is given opiates for pain should also be given a script for Narcan.
What about accidental ingestion of a child or another adult who may not realize how potent that particular opiate is?
Another thing is aftercare. Narcan is very short acting and depending on the amount of opiates someone has taken, one dose may not be enough, and even if they do come to for a bit, they can still go out again.
When I started to play around with opiates, no one talked about Narcan or CPR. Now we have the opportunities to stop an overdose and making it available to all who need it is where we need to be.
The best thing you can do is get educated. The Harm Reduction Coalition has some great info on overdose information.
Go and get certified to learn CPR. It is a 4 hour class in most places and if you should ever have someone go out on you, you know what to do.
That is why Harm Reduction is so important for those like us who use on recreational basis and even for CPP.
Being responsible should go hand in hand with opiate use. Mixing benzos and opiates, alcohol and opiates, more than one opiate in your system, all can lead to an overdose. Any drug that depresses your breathing can lead to an overdose, especially when two or more are mixed.
That is something that anyone can educate others on. Know your shit and share it with others.
Don't be afraid to let someone know if you feel they are taking it way to fast or using to much. Better to mix words than have to be in a situation where you are scrambling to get to a phone to call 911 or trying to revive someone on your own.
I will attach the link to the Harm Reduction Coalition. Take a look and get as much info as you can.
http://harmreduction.org/issues/overdose-prevention/