FRIDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Teaching people how to
recognize and respond to prescription painkiller overdoses could
significantly reduce the number of overdose deaths, a new study
suggests. Overdoses of these powerful opioid drugs are a major
cause of emergency hospital admissions and preventable deaths in
many countries. Opioids include hydrocodone (brand name
Vicodin), oxycodone (OxyContin and Percocet), morphine and
codeine. Since 2005, Massachusetts has had more opioid-related
overdose deaths than motor vehicle deaths, so the state
introduced several strategies to tackle the problem, including
training drug users, their families and friends, and potential
bystanders to prevent, recognize and respond to opioid
overdoses. The participants in the overdose education and
naloxone distribution (OEND) programs received instruction in
how to recognize signs of overdose, seek help, stay with victims
and use naloxone, a drug that reverses the effects of opioid
overdose. In the study, Alexander Walley, an ass