Final answer:
The opioid overdose triad includes pinpoint pupils, unconsciousness, and respiratory depression, symptoms that arise due to opioids' ability to significantly slow down or stop breathing.
Step-by-step explanation:
The opioid overdose triad consists of three primary signs: pinpoint pupils, unconsciousness, and respiratory depression. These symptoms occur because opioids can slow or stop a person's breathing, which is what usually causes overdose deaths. The dramatic increase in opioid addiction and overdose deaths, deemed the opioid epidemic, started in the 1990s with the mass-marketing of prescription opioids. The high addiction potential of opioids is due to their analgesic properties where they decrease pain by binding to opioid receptors in the brain, mimicking endogenous opioid neurotransmitters, which can result in addiction even when opioids are taken as prescribed. Addiction recovery often includes medical interventions, as well as support from organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Narcotics Anonymous (NA).