When someone overdoses, every second counts. But calling the wrong number could cost them their life. You might think calling 911 is always the right move - and sometimes it is. But in other cases, calling Poison Control first can save time, money, and even lives. The difference isn’t just about speed - it’s about type of emergency. Knowing when to call each service isn’t guesswork. It’s based on clear medical criteria backed by decades of data from poison centers and emergency responders across the U.S.
Call 911 Immediately If the Person Is Unresponsive or Struggling to Breathe
If someone is not waking up, not breathing, or turning blue, don’t hesitate. Dial 911 right away. These are signs of a life-threatening emergency. The CDC reports that 28.3% of fatal poisonings involve respiratory arrest. If a person doesn’t respond when you shake them or pinch their skin, their brain isn’t getting oxygen. Waiting to see if they "get better" could be fatal. This rule applies even if you think it’s "just a pill overdose." Many prescription drugs - especially opioids, benzodiazepines, and certain heart medications - can shut down breathing slowly. Fentanyl and its analogs are especially dangerous. Even if someone seems to wake up after naloxone (Narcan), they can crash again hours later because the overdose drug lasts longer than the antidote. That’s why EMS guidelines say: Always call 911 after giving naloxone.Call Poison Control for Stable, Asymptomatic Cases
Not every overdose is an emergency - at least not right away. If someone took too much medicine but is fully awake, breathing normally, and acting like themselves, Poison Control is your best first step. This includes common situations like:- A child accidentally swallowing one extra pill of a children’s vitamin or allergy medicine
- An adult taking a double dose of blood pressure medication but feeling fine
- Someone taking too much acetaminophen (Tylenol) but no nausea or pain yet
Key Differences: Symptoms That Change Everything
There’s no gray area when it comes to certain symptoms. If any of these are present, call 911 - do not call Poison Control first:- Unconsciousness or inability to wake up (Glasgow Coma Scale ≤8)
- Seizures lasting more than 5 minutes
- Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
- Blue lips or fingertips
- Severe chest pain or heart racing
- Systolic blood pressure below 90 mmHg
Special Cases: Kids, Seniors, and Multiple Drugs
Some people are at higher risk - and need faster action. Children under 1 year old: Their bodies process drugs differently. Even small amounts of certain medications - like clonidine or sulfonylureas - can cause dangerous drops in blood pressure or blood sugar. The American Academy of Pediatrics says: Any suspected ingestion in infants under 12 months should go straight to 911. Adults over 75: Older adults often take five or more medications daily. A single extra pill can trigger a dangerous interaction. A 2022 JAMA study found 83% of seniors over 75 take multiple drugs. Poison Control may still be helpful for low-risk cases - but if there’s any change in alertness, balance, or heart rhythm, call 911 immediately. Multiple substances: Mixing alcohol with opioids, benzodiazepines, or painkillers multiplies the danger. SAMHSA data shows 68.2% of suicide attempts involve multiple drugs. These cases rarely stay stable. Even if the person seems okay now, their condition can collapse within 15 minutes. Always call 911.
What to Have Ready Before You Call
Whether you’re calling Poison Control or 911, having the right information speeds up help. For Poison Control (1-800-222-1222), have these details ready:- The exact name of the substance (check the bottle - "ibuprofen" isn’t enough; is it Advil, Motrin, or a generic?)
- How much was taken (in milligrams or milliliters - not "a handful")
- When it happened (exact time, if possible)
- The person’s weight in kilograms (or pounds if you don’t know kg)
- Any symptoms and when they started
- What you’ve already done (did you give them water? Induce vomiting? Give naloxone?)
Don’t Rely on Apps or Online Tools for High-Risk Cases
There’s a free app called webPOISONCONTROL that helps you triage low-risk exposures. It’s accurate for simple cases - and handled nearly 30% of all Poison Control consultations in 2022. But here’s the catch: it’s useless if the person is already sick. The system is designed only for asymptomatic exposures with one substance. If someone is vomiting, dizzy, or unconscious, do not use the app. Call 911. A 2023 FDA review found that 18.3% of app users mistakenly thought they could handle opioid overdoses or multiple-drug mixtures on their own. That’s dangerous. Apps can’t assess breathing or heart rate. They can’t tell if someone’s brain is starving for oxygen.What Happens After You Call?
If you call Poison Control, you’ll speak with a nurse, pharmacist, or toxicologist trained in poison management. They’ll ask you questions, check their database, and tell you what to do next. Most calls last under 5 minutes. The median response time is 28 seconds, according to HRSA data. If you call 911, paramedics will arrive quickly. They’ll check vital signs, give oxygen, administer antidotes like naloxone or activated charcoal, and transport the person to the nearest ER. They’re trained to handle everything from fentanyl overdoses to accidental pesticide ingestion. In both cases, you’re not alone. Poison Control doesn’t judge. They’ve heard every story. 911 dispatchers are trained to stay calm and guide you through CPR if needed.
Why This System Exists - And Why It Works
The U.S. poison control system has saved the healthcare system over $1.8 billion a year by preventing unnecessary ER visits. That’s 300,000 fewer ambulance rides and hospital stays. But it only works if people use it correctly. Poison Control isn’t a backup for 911. It’s a specialized tool for situations that don’t require an ambulance. Emergency services aren’t a replacement for Poison Control - they’re for when time is literally running out. The system works because it’s built on evidence, not guesswork. Medical toxicologists have studied thousands of overdose cases. They know which drugs cause delayed collapse. They know which patients are most vulnerable. And they’ve built clear, life-saving rules around it.What to Do If You’re Not Sure
If you’re unsure - call Poison Control. They’ll tell you if you need to call 911. But if you see any sign of danger - unresponsiveness, trouble breathing, seizures - don’t wait. Call 911 immediately. You can always call Poison Control afterward for follow-up. Remember: Overdose doesn’t always look like a movie. Sometimes it’s just someone sleeping too deeply. Sometimes it’s a person who can’t stand up. Sometimes it’s quiet. Trust your gut. If something feels wrong, act.Can I call Poison Control for an opioid overdose?
Only if the person is fully awake, breathing normally, and you’re certain it’s a single, low-dose opioid exposure. If there’s any doubt - if they’re sleepy, slow to respond, or you don’t know how much they took - call 911 immediately. Even if you give naloxone, you still need to call 911. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl can wear off faster than the overdose drug, leading to a second collapse.
What if I don’t know what was taken?
Call 911. If the person is showing symptoms, emergency responders can still treat them without knowing the exact substance. If they’re stable and you suspect a medication overdose, call Poison Control and describe the container - color, shape, markings. They can often identify the drug from that. But if the person is unconscious or struggling to breathe, don’t waste time trying to figure it out. Dial 911.
Is Poison Control free and confidential?
Yes. The Poison Help hotline (1-800-222-1222) is completely free and confidential. You won’t be charged, and your call won’t be reported to police or insurance unless there’s child abuse or a suicide attempt requiring intervention. The goal is to save lives, not to punish.
Can I use the Poison Control app instead of calling?
Only for stable, low-risk cases - like a child who ate one multivitamin and is acting normal. The app can’t assess breathing, consciousness, or heart rate. It won’t help if someone is vomiting, seizing, or unresponsive. If there’s any doubt, call 911 or the hotline. The app is a tool, not a replacement for human judgment in emergencies.
What if I’m worried about getting in trouble for calling?
Your priority is saving a life. Poison Control and 911 dispatchers are trained to respond with compassion, not judgment. In nearly all cases, they won’t involve law enforcement unless there’s clear evidence of child endangerment or intentional harm. Most calls come from concerned family members, friends, or bystanders trying to help. The system exists so you don’t have to face this alone.
14 Comments
stephen idiado
Let’s be real-Poison Control is for people who think ‘a handful’ is a valid dosage. If someone’s blue, don’t text a bot. Call 911. End of story. No ‘maybe,’ no ‘check the app.’ Your hesitation kills.
And stop glorifying apps. They’re not triage tools-they’re liability shields for corporations.
Subhash Singh
While the guidelines presented are clinically sound and evidence-based, one must consider the socio-economic disparities in access to emergency services, particularly in low-resource settings. The assumption that 911 is universally accessible or promptly responsive is not valid across all jurisdictions. In many regions, including parts of South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa, delays in emergency response may render even timely calls ineffective. A more robust public health infrastructure is required to complement these protocols.
Peter Lubem Ause
I love how this post breaks it down without fluff. Seriously. Too many people panic and call 911 for everything, clogging up the system when Poison Control could’ve handled it in 90 seconds.
But here’s the thing-most folks don’t know the difference. I’ve seen grandmas call 911 because their grandkid ate a grape. And I’ve seen parents sit there for an hour after their teen took 10 Advil, thinking ‘they’re fine.’
Education isn’t optional. We need this in schools. In workplaces. On TV ads. Not just on Reddit. The system works, but only if people actually know how to use it.
And yes-calling Poison Control doesn’t mean you’re weak. It means you’re smart. You’re not guessing. You’re using the experts who’ve seen 10,000 cases before you even knew what ‘acetaminophen’ meant.
Also, if you’re worried about getting in trouble? Chill. They’ve heard it all. Your kid ate your Xanax? They won’t call CPS unless you’re a repeat offender. They want to help. Not judge.
And for the love of God-don’t induce vomiting. That’s 1980s nonsense. Activated charcoal? Maybe. Vomiting? Nope. You’re just making it worse.
TL;DR: Know the signs. Call the right number. Save lives. Not paperwork.
Sullivan Lauer
THIS. THIS RIGHT HERE. I almost lost my brother because I called Poison Control first.
He took a fentanyl patch-thought he was fine. Said he was ‘just sleepy.’ I called 1-800-222-1222. They said ‘monitor him.’
27 minutes later-he stopped breathing.
Paramedics got there in 12. He’s alive. But if I’d called 911 when he first went quiet? He wouldn’t have needed three rounds of Narcan.
Don’t trust ‘stable.’ Don’t trust ‘he’s breathing.’ If it’s opioids, even one second of delay is a gamble with death.
When in doubt? CALL 911. I’m not just saying that. I’m screaming it from the rooftops.
And if you’re scared to call? Good. That means you care. Now go save someone’s life.
Steven Howell
While the distinction between Poison Control and emergency services is well-articulated, it is worth noting that cultural perceptions of medical authority may influence compliance. In certain communities, particularly among immigrant populations, there exists a significant reluctance to engage with formal healthcare systems due to fears of documentation, deportation, or stigma.
Public health messaging must therefore be culturally tailored, linguistically accessible, and emotionally resonant. A simple translation of guidelines is insufficient. Trust must be built through community liaisons, trusted figures, and repeated, empathetic outreach.
The data is clear. The protocols are sound. But implementation remains uneven.
Robert Bashaw
POISON CONTROL ISN’T A TINDER SWIPE. YOU DON’T GET A ‘MAYBE’ WHEN SOMEONE’S TURNING BLUE.
I’ve seen people argue over whether to call 911 like it’s a Netflix poll. ‘Is he breathing? Maybe? Wait, did he take one pill or three?’
NO. IF THEY’RE SLOW TO RESPOND, CALL 911. IF THEY’RE BLUE, CALL 911. IF YOU’RE PANICKING, CALL 911.
It’s not dramatic. It’s biology. Your brain isn’t a weather app. You don’t get to ‘check the forecast’ when the house is on fire.
And for the love of all that’s holy-stop using apps. They’re not magic. They don’t have hands. They can’t hold your cousin’s head while you call 911.
I’m not mad. I’m just… heartbroken. Because I’ve seen what happens when people wait for ‘certainty.’
There is no certainty. Only action.
Geoff Heredia
Ever wonder why Poison Control is so ‘chill’? Because they’re not the ones cleaning up the mess.
911 gets the bodies. Poison Control gets the paperwork.
And who funds Poison Control? Pharma. Who wrote the guidelines? Pharma-funded toxicologists.
Think about it. If everyone called 911 for every overdose, hospitals would be overwhelmed. But if we push people to call Poison Control? Fewer ER visits. Lower costs. More profit for the companies that made the drugs in the first place.
It’s not a system. It’s a cost-saving algorithm wrapped in a medical mask.
And don’t tell me ‘it saves lives.’ Of course it does. But who’s really benefiting?
Just saying… maybe we should stop treating overdose like a logistics problem and start treating it like a crisis caused by corporate greed.
linda wood
Okay but like… why are we still acting like this is some big revelation?
My mom’s a nurse. She’s been yelling this since 2012.
‘If they’re not awake, call 911.’
‘If they’re breathing but sleepy, call Poison Control.’
‘If you’re not sure, call 911.’
And yet… people still Google it. Still use apps. Still wait for ‘signs.’
It’s not the guidelines that are broken. It’s the culture. We’ve turned emergency response into a TikTok quiz.
Also, I love that the post says ‘don’t judge.’ But let’s be real-people who wait are the ones who say ‘I didn’t think it was that bad.’
Yeah. And now your cousin’s in a coma.
Just… call 911. Please.
LINDA PUSPITASARI
thank u for this!! i had no idea about the naloxone thing 😭 i thought once they woke up they were fine... nope 😳
my cousin took oxycodone and got revived with narcan and i was like "yay he's good!" and then he crashed again 3 hours later 😭
we called poison control after and they were like "you should've called 911" and i was like "i thought i did the right thing"
so now i know. if you give narcan → call 911. always. no exceptions.
also poison control is free?? wow i thought they charged 😅
sharing this with my whole family now 🙏❤️
gerardo beaudoin
Simple rule: if they’re not acting like themselves, call 911. Doesn’t matter if it’s a pill, a drink, or a weird powder. If they’re slow, sleepy, or weird-don’t wait. Call now.
And if you’re not sure? Call Poison Control. They’ll tell you if you need to call 911 anyway. No shame. No judgment.
Just do the thing. Save the life.
Joy Aniekwe
Wow. So we’re supposed to trust Poison Control-who are basically glorified call centers-over paramedics who actually have oxygen and IVs?
Let me guess: the same people who told us to ‘trust the science’ during the pandemic are now telling us to trust a hotline with a 28-second wait time?
And yet, if you call 911 for a ‘non-emergency,’ you get yelled at.
So… who wins? The system? Or the person who dies because they listened to a script?
It’s not a guideline. It’s a gamble.
Latika Gupta
My sister took 15 melatonin gummies and was fine. Called Poison Control. They said "watch for drowsiness." She slept for 14 hours.
But then my friend’s kid ate a whole bottle of adult ibuprofen and they called Poison Control too-and they told them to go to the ER.
So how do you know? I don’t trust the system anymore.
Maybe we should just all call 911. Every time. Let the system handle it.
Sohini Majumder
ok but like... why is this even a thing?? why are we outsourcing life-or-death decisions to a 1-800 number??
isn't this just capitalism turning human suffering into a tiered support system??
poison control = cheap
911 = expensive
so we train people to pick the cheaper option... even if it might kill them??
and then we pat ourselves on the back for "saving money"??
and the app?? the app is literally a corporate liability shield wrapped in a cute UI
and don't even get me started on the "no judgment" line... sure... until you're the one who called and your kid's in a coma and now the hospital wants to report you to CPS for "neglect"
we're not saving lives here... we're optimizing for cost
and it's disgusting
Peter Lubem Ause
Just want to respond to @5275 and @5251-this isn’t about cost-cutting. It’s about efficiency. Poison Control isn’t replacing 911. It’s preventing ER overcrowding so 911 can focus on real emergencies.
Think of it like triage at a disaster. You don’t send every person with a sprained ankle to the OR. You triage. You prioritize.
And yes, the system isn’t perfect. But it’s built on data from 60+ years of poison cases. Not corporate agendas.
Also, if you’re worried about being reported? You’re not. Poison Control doesn’t report accidental ingestions. They report abuse. That’s it.
Don’t confuse the tool with the system. The tool saves lives. The system? It’s the people who use it right.