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By Eshaan Nair
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported in June 2025 that drug overdose was the leading injury-related cause of death in the U.S. The report said it appears the number of overdoses accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, citing that 107,000 people died from overdose in 2022 alone.
This is the unfortunate reality of our country, but even more heartbreaking are the experiences of the estimated 599,075 individuals who experience non-fatal overdoses. When these people go to the hospital for care for their non-fatal overdose, they are met with detrimental stigma, especially from overworked and likely underpaid hospital workers. This significantly affects the diagnosis and treatment. Without a change in behaviors and biases, these people do not receive the care they need. In fact, we risk losing them entirely – sometimes permanently.
The first thing to understand is how many people do not know how to react in the case of an overdose. A concerning study from the Ohio State University finds that 75% of Americans would not be able to help someone experiencing an overdose.
One of the best solutions to an overdose is naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan. Before letting people have access to Narcan, however, it is essential to train them to administer Narcan. Especially in cases of non-fatal overdoses, it is important to administer the first dose of Narcan only if the victim is unresponsive. Then, only if they are still non-responsive two minutes after the first dose, administer the second dose.
Kelly Ramsey, the chief of medical services at the New York State Office, explains that many people do not do this. If a non-fatal overdose occurs, administering too much Narcan could lead to serious problems, including causing withdrawal symptoms to show immediately, such as vomiting. Not just that, but if they do relapse into drug abuse and go through an overdose again, they would be much less likely to respond to Narcan administration again.
Such serious consequences go unrecognized by many people, who intend to help, but instead worsen the situation for non-fatal overdose survivors (NFOS).
It is also necessary to enlighten many on how much stigma affects the care that NFOS receive. The Society for the Study of Addiction conducted a study in 2021 analyzing the attitudes of emergency service workers towards NFOS during their times of crises. The study observed that for many healthcare workers, helping NFOS “takes away from what [they] would call real patients.”
For millions of healthcare workers, they “really have to try to talk to survivors,” the researchers reported.
While many healthcare workers try to cause a meaningful change in NFOS’ lives, that intention goes away after facing a “loss of empathy…ingratitude…and even skepticism….”
However, from the perspective of survivors, healthcare workers have been less than accommodating. In fact, some have been downright insulting and degrading, with some survivors even being compared to “satanists” and being told they were “going to hell.”
Such treatment severely impacts NFOS, who are now much less likely to call emergency services in case of a non-fatal overdose. Stereotypes like these are the reason why The International Journal on Drug Policy explains that, of the people who experience an overdose, only 61% of them call 911, and only 41% actually visit a hospital. With such low numbers of people seeking help after a non-fatal overdose, it is only a matter of time until they drift further away from help.
It is important to understand how to help NFOS because, without help, these people might be pushed to the point of no return.
The best solution is to solve the stigma many healthcare workers have toward NFOS through training. The Society for the Study of Addiction explains the need for additional training that teaches healthcare professionals how to help NFOS the same way therapists are trained to help overdose survivors.
Another necessary training is the proper administration of Narcan to all ages throughout the country – not just in schools and medical offices, but in community centers and even neighborhoods. With this, we will finally be able to help those people, invisible to us, who are fighting an uphill battle every single day.
This issue isn’t just about policies; it’s about the people involved.
At the center of every overdose statistic is a human life, someone who still deserves a chance to live, to heal, and to be seen as more than their worst. If we let stigma replace empathy, we don’t just fail them in the emergency room; we abandon them when they need us most. But, if we can educate ourselves and treat survivors with dignity, we can finally remind people that they are still worth fighting for, even when they feel like the world has given up on them.
This article was written as part of a program to educate youth and others about Alameda County’s opioid crisis, prevention and treatment options. The program is funded by the Alameda County Behavioral Health Department and the grant is administered by Three Valleys Community Foundation.
