Which not breathing category indicates a suspected drug overdose?

• A. Hanging
• B. Narcotic/Opioid arrest (obvious)
• C. Strangulation
• D. Drowning arrest (out of water)

Answer: (B)

Opioids blunt the brain’s drive to breathe, so an arrest or severe breathing failure is a common presentation in a drug overdose. In a not-breathing dispatch category, the option that aligns with an overdose scenario is the narcotic/opioid arrest (obvious). The other situations—hanging, strangulation, and drowning—are mechanical or environmental causes of asphyxia or hypoxia rather than overdoses. They involve airway obstruction or submersion rather than drug-induced respiratory depression. So recognizing not breathing as a potential overdose points you to the opioid arrest category, which guides responders toward overdose assessment and appropriate interventions.