By: Kate Roudebush (Loyola Sophomore)
On Thursday, November 30, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., Loyola’s Wellness Center offered their first Student Narcan Training in Mundelein room 520.
Led by Callie Powers, the Wellness Center’s Alcohol and Other Drug Educator, the training session provided students with lessons about opiates and the use of naloxone–a medication better known as Narcan, naloxone’s nasal spray form–to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.
At the session, Powers led attending students through a slideshow that covered ideas of the opioid epidemic, naloxone, Narcan, symptoms of an opioid overdose, and the legal considerations of using the nasal spray. Questions from the audience were invited and encouraged to promote an engaging learning experience.
Students were taught the four simple steps of how to use Narcan: identify an opioid overdose, call for emergency help, put the nasal spray plunger in the nose and press firmly to administer the full contents, and continue to evaluate and give additional support until medical professionals arrive.
Powers emphasized Loyola’s Good Samaritan Policy which is in place to alleviate student concerns in times when medical attention is necessary to help someone who has been drinking or using drugs. Students who follow the policy’s requirements will not face disciplinary action, as student safety takes precedence in these situations.
Concluding the training, attendees each received two of their own single-use Narcan nasal sprays as well as flyers explaining how to recognize an opioid overdose and use Narcan.
Though naloxone and Narcan were invented decades ago, their usage has spiked in recent years as opioid overdoses continue to become more prevalent.
America’s opioid epidemic is an ongoing crisis throughout the nation that has impacted nearly all racial, ethnic and age groups. The recent growth in popularity of synthetic opiates like fentanyl, which is roughly 50 times stronger than heroin, has only contributed to the tragedy at hand, making accidental deaths more common.
The dangers of opioid overdoses are affecting college students and Chicagoans alike.
Though no Loyola Campus Safety Officers have had to use Narcan on a student who is overdosing, the tragic passing of Loyola student Max Larson during the previous academic year further encouraged students and community members to advocate to bring awareness to the ongoing issue.
The Wellness Center takes a harm reduction approach when it comes to student drug and alcohol usage.
“We want to respect the students we’re working with, not treat them like they’re little kids,” Powers said. “[We] say, ‘We know this might happen and
With this in mind, the Wellness Center believed that a clear first step in highlighting the epidemic and keeping students safe was obtaining Narcan and providing the proper training to interested students.
“We’ve been doing a lot of research about what other campuses are doing with how we can get Narcan because it’s not easy to get a huge supply,” Powers said. “It’s been pretty slow, but a lot of different groups are working together and figuring out what they think we need on campus.”
For one student who was a friend of Larson, Loyola Junior Erik Polik, giving students access to Narcan was an obvious and much-needed first step. As he was concluding his EMT training in the spring of 2022, Polik recognized the benefits this access would provide.
Polik quickly got in contact with the Wellness Center and began to spread his enthusiasm to aid the Loyola community in combating opioid overdoses.
“I hope that we can get Narcan into the hands of all Loyola students and faculty,” he said. “As a whole, society should be looking out for each other, and having Narcan at this moment in the United States is–unfortunately–necessary.”
The November 30 training session was the first of its kind, but Powers is excited for what is to come. Though this session was only for Loyola students, the Wellness Center hopes to soon broaden its scope, potentially offering training to community members as well.
“The goal of this training, and some early ones next semester, are to get information about what people do know, what we think this next campaign should focus on and what topics people want to know [more] information about,” Powers said.
She is currently planning to host training sessions following Loyola’s winter break in January. After the completion of these pilot trainings, the hope is to move forward into a more official campaign offering more sessions in March 2024.
Powers’ ultimate goal is to one day provide a space on campus where students can easily obtain their own supply of Narcan. She plans to continue her efforts to educate students and aid Loyola in lessening the impacts of opioid overdoses on campus and in neighboring communities.
“Carrying Narcan can be beneficial if you ever have to use it and save someone’s life, but the reality of it is that a lot of people who have Narcan probably won’t ever be in that situation,” Powers said. “Even if you never use it, just having Narcan shows other people that you’re caring enough to have that with you.”
Stay on the lookout around campus and on the University Calendar to find information about the Wellness Center’s Student Narcan Trainings to come next semester.
If you or anyone you know is interested in getting Narcan, it is available for purchase at pharmacies. Additionally, Chicago Public Libraries are now offering free doses of Narcan at 81 locations. You can also have Narcan mailed to you for free at hopedupage.org and harmreduction.org.
