An overdose happens when the amount of a drug in someone’s body overwhelms what it can handle. It is not only an opioid problem, it does not only happen to people who use every day, and it is often survivable if someone nearby knows what to look for.
Call 911 first
If you think someone has overdosed, call 911 before anything else. Do not wait to see whether they come round, and do not leave them alone.
Georgia’s 911 Medical Amnesty Law is written for exactly this moment. Under O.C.G.A. § 16-13-5, a person who in good faith seeks medical help for someone they believe is overdosing cannot be arrested, charged or prosecuted for possessing a small amount of a controlled substance, under an ounce of marijuana, or drug-related objects, where that evidence came only from seeking the help. It covers the person who is overdosing as well as the person who calls, and it also blocks probation and parole sanctions based on those same offenses.
The protection has limits worth knowing. The statute expects whoever calls to stay and provide care until help arrives. It does not cover other offenses, and it does not stop officers acting on an unrelated warrant or seizing evidence through a search that is lawful for another reason. None of that changes what to do: call 911, say what was taken if you know, and stay. This is a plain summary rather than legal advice, and statutes get amended — the current text sits in the Georgia Code under O.C.G.A. § 16-13-5.
What an overdose looks like
Signs differ by what was taken, and people often take more than one thing at once.
Opioids, including fentanyl and heroin: breathing slows, becomes shallow or stops. Lips and fingertips turn blue or grey. Pupils shrink to pinpoints. The person cannot be woken and may make a choking or gurgling sound.
Alcohol, benzodiazepines and other sedatives: heavy sedation, confusion, vomiting, slow or irregular breathing, cold or clammy skin, seizures. Someone who cannot be roused is in danger, not sleeping it off.
Stimulants such as cocaine and meth: chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, very high temperature, agitation or paranoia, seizures, stroke. Overheating is a major cause of death.
What to do while you wait
- Try to wake them. Shout, and rub your knuckles firmly on their breastbone.
- If they are breathing but unresponsive, roll them onto their side so they cannot choke if they vomit.
- If opioids may be involved, give naloxone. It will not harm someone who has not taken opioids, so give it if you are unsure.
- If they are not breathing, start rescue breathing or CPR if you are trained.
- Stay until help arrives. Naloxone wears off before many opioids do, and someone can stop breathing again.
Naloxone
Naloxone, sold as Narcan, reverses an opioid overdose. It is available in Georgia without a prescription, and it works on fentanyl — though a strong fentanyl overdose can need more than one dose.
It does nothing for cocaine, meth, alcohol or benzodiazepines on their own. Since many overdoses involve an opioid the person did not know was there, it is still worth giving.
The risk is highest after a break
Tolerance drops fast. Someone returning to their usual amount after a few weeks in jail, in treatment, or simply not using is at far higher risk than they were before they stopped. This is one of the most common ways a fatal overdose happens, and it is the reason stopping without a plan can be more dangerous than it looks.
If you are coming off a substance, what withdrawal involves and how long it lasts is worth understanding first, and our outpatient detox team can tell you whether it is safe to stop on your own.
Overdose by substance
What an overdose looks like, how much is too much, and what to do:
Opioids
Naloxone and emergency response
Alcohol and sedatives
- Alcohol overdose
- Xanax overdose
- Benzodiazepine overdose
- Barbiturate overdose
- Can you overdose on sleeping pills?
Stimulants
Other substances
How overdoses happen
In an emergency, call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
Last checked 5 November 2026. The legal summary above was checked against the text of O.C.G.A. § 16-13-5 and is queued for medical review by Dr. Bryon McQuirt, MD — see how we review content.