DON’T USE ALONE.
Stimulant overamping and overdose
BRING NALOXONE.
SAVE YOURSELF OR A FRIEND.
Thank you to the Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution
Program (OHRDP); Jennifer Broad and Keith Williams
from the Toronto Community Hepatitis C Program;
Natalie Kaminski from the Peel Region Drug User
Network; Toward the Heart BCCDC Harm Reduction
Services; Street Works; Nine Circles; and HANDUP for
their help in the development of the resource.
Design and layout: Pam Sloan Designs.
CATIE project leads: Rivka Kushner and Melisa Dickie.
This resource is adapted from a brochure by the
Ontario Harm Reduction Distribution Program
(OHRDP), 2014, which adapted an original
resource by Vancouver Coastal Health, 2011.
Production of this publication has been made possible
in part through financial contributions from the Ontario
Ministry of Health and the Public Health Agency of
Canada (PHAC). The views expressed herein do not
necessarily represent the views of our funders.
www.catie.ca
/CATIEinfo
© 2020, CATIE (Canadian AIDS Treatment Information
Exchange). All rights reserved.
CATIE Ordering Centre Catalogue Number: ATI- 70218
(aussi disponible en français, ATI- 70219)
Safer
Fatal overdoses are not common with stimulant use, however the drug supply is unpredictable and a
fatal overdose is possible. Overamping can be considered a type of non-fatal overdose. This information
is to help identify when a person is overamping and needs to rest, and when a person goes down and
needs emergency medical services.
Overamping Overdose (OD)
Crystal
SIGNS OF OVERAMPING SIGNS OF STIMULANT OVERDOSE (OD)
• Crushing chest pain
Effects of the high can become more extreme
with meth over-use. This happens more often • Seizures
Meth
when someone hasn’t slept or eaten in a while. • Unconscious or in-and-out
• No pulse or no breathing
These can include:
• rigid, jerking limbs WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE ODS
Smoking
• irregular heartbeat or chest pain
• skin feeling hot or sweaty 11. Call 911 (or get someone else to call)
• severe headaches for an ambulance and report back.
• anxiety, paranoia, confusion, agitation or 22. Stay and help. Even if you’ve taken drugs
hallucinations (including drug-induced psychosis) or have some on you, the Good Samaritan
Drug Overdose Act may protect you.
WHAT TO DO IF SOMEONE IS OVERAMPING 33. If a person is unconscious or has stopped
• Be calm and help the person be calm.
breathing, give breaths. For those trained
Try to get them to slow down and rest.
in CPR, if a person’s heart has stopped (they
• Give them water and keep them hydrated.
have no pulse), give chest compressions too.
• Try to help them cool down.
44. Tell paramedics as much as you
can about what happened.
Naloxone reverses an opioid overdose.
There is no antidote to stimulant overdose,
but the drug supply is toxic and unpredictable.
If you have to leave the person alone, Giving someone naloxone will not harm them.
put them in the RECOVERY POSITION. When in doubt, use naloxone. IT’S SAFE.
Talk to your harm reduction worker about where to get support
and help if you want to reduce or stop your crystal meth use.
How to prepare your meth pipe:
5 Once you begin to see 6 The pipe will be very hot –
vapour, continue heating handle it with care.
1 Clean your hands 2 Pour crystal
pipe and inhale slowly, If the pipe has a
with soap and water meth into pipe.
or alcohol swabs. then exhale immediately crack or chip, throw it out.
(holding in won’t get you
more high and can burn
3 Fit mouthpiece 4 Hold pipe and apply heat to
your lungs).
ALCOHOL
SWAB ALCOHOL onto pipe. bowl. The flame shouldn’t
SWAB touch the bowl. Keep heat
moving around the bowl.

Supplies you use to smoke Safer crystal meth smoking tips Mouth care
crystal meth safer: • Avoid using alone. • Connect with others. • Drink water or juice to keep your mouth
Try to smoke in a safe place with people you trust. Ask them to reach out to make sure you’re okay. moist and reduce cracks and blisters.
• Start low, go slow. • Take care of yourself. • Moisten your lips with your own lip balm.
The crystal meth may be more Try to eat something before you smoke. • Chew gum to keep your mouth moist and
potent than you realize. Stay hydrated with water or juice. reduce clenching.
• BOWL PIPE • Know the source of your drugs. • Be kind to yourself and your skin. • Brush your teeth when possible or use
Try to prepare doses yourself. Wash your hands after smoking. mouthwash.
• Avoid mixing substances. • Take a break. • Avoid infection by using your own
• MOUTHPIECE Mixing with opioids can lead to a fatal overdose. Get some sleep, drink water or mouthpiece or pipe and not sharing it.
• Have condoms and lube with you. juice and eat something.
You may want to have sex while high.
Use your own stem
ALCOHOL
SWAB and mouthpiece to
prevent hepatitis C.
• TORCH
Hepatitis C can be passed through tiny
• ALCOHOL SWAB LIGHTER Combining substances can be dangerous amounts of blood on meth smoking
• Erectile drugs (Viagra, • Other stimulants, • Downer drugs, • Alcohol & stimulant drugs equipment. Talk to a harm reduction
This resource provides information about how Cialis) put extra strain on like MDMA or like GHB, can (MDMA, cocaine) can dehydrate worker about where to get equipment
to smoke crystal meth with this equipment. the heart, cause sudden cocaine, can push lead to stroke the body further when mixed. and where to get tested for hepatitis C.
Talk to your local harm reduction site about shifts in blood pressure your body too far, or heart attack. This can negatively affect Smoking meth can lead to skin issues
which safer drug use supplies are available and can lead to stroke, increasing the risk of kidney and liver function and such as infections, lesions or abscesses
and how they are meant to be used. chest pain and heart attack. overheating or stroke. make crash symptoms worse. that may require medical attention.