If I’m in a rush, can I give someone Narcan without using STIM to confirm if they’re overdosing? Why do we use STIM to confirm an overdose?

No. It is incredibly important to go through all four steps of STIM before administering Narcan: Speak -> Touch -> Intense Touch -> Monitor Breathing to avoid giving someone Narcan who does not need it. If a person has used opioids, they may not hear you at first or respond to a shake of the shoulder because of how opioids affect the body. Also, we want to avoid giving Narcan to people who are not overdosing. When people who have consumed opioids are given Narcan, they wake up experiencing withdrawal symptoms, which may feel like a terrible case of the flu or worse. If you move through all the STIM steps and still aren’t sure if someone needs Narcan, you should signal an SOS and administer Narcan. We want to err on the side of caution while also doing everything we can to confirm if Narcan is needed.