Opioid Epidemic
To improve local public health approaches for addressing Georgia’s opioid crisis by supporting high quality, comprehensive, and timelier data obtainment on overdose morbidity and mortality and using that data to inform and implement prevention and response efforts. SCHD assists with the development and implementation of local/district opioid, stimulant, and polysubstance overdose prevention and response strategies, including enrollment in the Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program (ODMAP) created by High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA).
The Georgia Medical Amnesty 911 Law
Call 911, Do Not Hesitate
- Georgia’s Medical Amnesty Law protects victims and callers seeking medical assistance at drug or alcohol overdose scenes.
- Limited liability for possession of small amounts of drugs and/or alcohol- this applies to the victim as well as the caller.
- Limited liability for breaches of parole, restraining order, probation and other violations.
Signs of an Opioid Overdose
Call 911 Immediately if these symptoms occur:
- Unresponsiveness
- Awake, but unable to talk
- Limp posture
- Face is pale or clammy
- Blue fingernails or lips
- Slow, shallow breathing
- Not breathing
- Pulse is slow, erratic, or absent
- Choking sounds or gurgling sounds
- For lighter skinned people, the skin tone turns bluish purple; for darker skinned people, the skin tone turns grayish or ashen.
If you are in need of Narcan or a Narcan training, please contact Caleigh Neal at 478-275-6545 ext 2506 or at caleigh.neal@dph.ga.gov
What is Xylazine and What Should I Know?
- Xylazine is a powerful sedative / depressant approved only for veterinary use, such as calming large animals like horses.
- Xylazine is known on the street as "tranq" or "tranq dope" and rivals fentanyl as a killer.
- Xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer, is knowingly or unknowingly being increasingly mixed into illegal street drugs, most frequently fentanyl, making them far more dangerous.
- Illegal drugs such as cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl can be mixed with xylazine, either to enhance drug effects or increase street value by increasing their weight.
- People who use illegal drugs may not be aware of the presence of xylazine.
- Xylazine restricts blood vessels and severely slows down the central nervous system, it causes unique, severe health hazards to the human body.
- Individuals may believe they know what they are taking but are unlikely to be prepared for what can happen to them when they ingest xylazine. In addition to being potentially fatal, the chemical can also cause necrosis (death of bodily tissue).
- Naloxone will not reverse a xylazine overdose but since it's most often mixed with Fentanyl, it should still be given in case of an O.D.
Dangers of Xylazine
- Severe Skin Wounds (Necrosis): Xylazine chokes off blood flow to the skin. This causes deep, painful open sores and ulcers where the tissue dies and rots. These wounds can happen anywhere on the body, not just where a person injects the drug, and can lead to severe infections or limb amputations.
- Heavy Sedation: It acts like a "light switch" that shuts down the body's alert system. Users are knocked out for hours at a time, leaving them completely vulnerable.
- Slowed Breathing and Heart Rate: It dangerously lowers blood pressure and slows down heart and lung function. When mixed with opioids, the risk of a fatal overdose skyrockets.