“Speed balling” (using both heroin and cocaine together) increases the risk of overdose because the cocaine makes the body use more oxygen and the heroin lowers the breathing rate. TRUE
Tolerance can decrease rapidly when a person takes a break from a drug. TRUE
The content and purity of street drugs is predictable. FALSE
Using drugs by yourself doesn’t increase the risk of overdose, but it increases the risk of dying if someone does OD, because there is no one there to seek help. FALSE
Older people and people with a longer drug history are less likely to die of a drug overdose. FALSE
The methods of drug administration that get the drugs to the brain more quickly, delivering that desired rush, such as shooting or smoking are more dangerous. TRUE
Previous non-fatal overdoses are a red flag that an individual is at risk for an overdose. TRUE
Harm reductionists argue that even if people engage in activities we don’t necessarily approve of, the object should be to reduce the harms of those activities, both for the people who engage in them and for the community at large. TRUE
Harm reduction for opioid use includes providing clean needles and supervised injection sites. TRUE
Mixing drugs is dangerous. The more alcohol and “downers” (like Benzodiazepine’s) the less likely you are to overdose if you take opioids too. FALSE