People who are in a position to administer naloxone must know how to identify an opioid overdose and must believe in their own power to act to save that person's life. Individuals who have no prior medical experience may feel uncomfortable with these features.

People who are in a position to administer naloxone may be hesitant to do so because they fear that doing so might suddenly cause the person experiencing an opioid overdose to go into opioid withdrawal or lose their "high."

People who are in a position to administer naloxone may be hesitant to do so because they are unsure if they may be held personally responsible for that particular individual's outcome. They may also worry that calling 911 or alerting a medical professional could cause them to get in trouble with the police.