Learn the identifying signs and symptoms of a drug overdose so that you can get the help you or a loved one needs and possibly save a life. Overdose happens when someone consumes a toxic amount of one or multiple drugs. An overdose is a medical emergency, so if you think that you or another person is experiencing an overdose, it is critical to call 911 immediately. Prevent opioid overdose. In WA State, individuals can order free naloxone online for delivery or pickup from a pharmacy without a prescription. CDC’s Overdose Prevention Data Channel brings together key information from three CDC data systems to show what is happening with drug overdoses in the United States - the National Vital Statistics System (NVSS), the Nonfatal Drug Overdose Surveillance and Epidemiology System (DOSE), and the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS). It highlights the most important trends. An overdose is when you take more than the recommended amount of something, often a medicine or drug. An overdose may result in serious, harmful symptoms or death. Overdose is the term used when someone enters into a critical state from ingesting too much of a substance or blend of substances. Overdose (OD) happens when a toxic amount of a drug, or combination of drugs overwhelms the body. People can overdose on lots of things, including alcohol, Tylenol, opioids or a mixture of drugs. Opioid overdoses happen when there are so many opioids or a combination of opioids and other drugs in the body that the victim is not responsive to stimulation and/or breathing is inadequate. This. The word overdose implies that there is a common safe dosage and usage for the drug; therefore, the term is commonly applied only to drugs, not poisons, even though many poisons as well are harmless at a low enough dosage. Drug overdose is sometimes used as a means to commit suicide, as the result of intentional or unintentional misuse of medication. Intentional misuse leading to overdose. Get the most up-to-date fatal and nonfatal overdose data, including provisional overdose death estimates, through CDC's Overdose Prevention Data Channel. The data channel is CDC's centralized source for timely overdose surveillance data to help communities, decision-makers, policymakers, media, and public health professionals understand trends and take informed action to support overdose. When someone experiences an overdose, their body becomes overwhelmed by the toxic effects of the substance they’ve consumed. Typically, the body processes and eliminates drugs, but when the amount of a drug exceeds what the body can handle, it leads to dangerous and potentially life-threatening symptoms. Understanding these symptoms and the immediate aftermath can save lives and prevent long.