Seizures happen when there's a burst of electrical activity in your brain. Sometimes taking too much of a drug - like synthetic cannabinoids, methamphetamine or cocaine can cause a person to have a seizure.

They can also occur when a person is withdrawing from some drugs such as alcohol, benzodiazepines or etomidate. 


Different types of seizures can look different, but these are the most common signs of a seizure: 

  • Stiffening or jerking of limbs
  • Falling suddenly
  • Staring into space 
  • Being awake, but unable to respond 
  • Convulsing  
  • Loss of muscle control 

How long a seizure lasts and how severe it is can depend on many things. It is important to not leave someone who is having a seizure alone.  

Seizures: What do I do?

  1. Call 111 - let them know you think someone is having a seizure after taking drugs.  
  2. Clear the area around them from any hard or dangerous objects.
  3. Do not restraint the person.
  4. If you can, safely place something soft under their head to protect it, like a hoodie.
  5. Time the seizure so you can let emergency responders know how long it was.
  6. Once a person stops seizing, place them in the recovery position.

If a person stops breathing at any point during or after the seizure, perform CPR.  

Witnessing a seizure can be quite distressing, but it is important you remain calm. Some other things that are helpful to do are: 

  • Talk to the person, reassure them that they are OK and you are there with them. People can often still hear what is going on around them when they are seizing, so it is important to be calm and gentle.  
  • Sometimes people will lose control of their bladder when having a seizure. This can be distressing for the person when they come to. If you can, try to remove unnecessary bystanders from around them and cover them up with a blanket or hoodie once the seizure is over.
  • Stay with the person until the seizure is over, or until emergency services arrive.