Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Student Leadership | 9
Opioid Overdose and Prevention: Student-Led Narcan Distribution Beta Mu Gamma Chapter Solano Community College Fairfield, California
Abstract The risk of opioid exposure, including fentanyl, on college campuses is significant, and it directly impacts the college’s capacity to deliver its mission. Opioid exposure and overdose are an on-the-ground reality for colleges. Importantly, there are actions a college may take to address the realities of opioid exposure in support of its students and college mission; these actions may include providing the campus community with educational resources and access to harm-reduction programs, including the distribution of Narcan/Naloxone. According to the California Department of Public Health, of the 9,634 overdose deaths in California (August 2023 to August 2024), 63% were due to opioids (59% due to synthetic opioids such as fentanyl). Fourteen percent of college students in the United States report misusing prescription opioids. And half of college students in the U.S. report they can easily procure illicit opioids. In contrast, overdose deaths in the U.S. have dropped 10% since April 2024, largely due to harm-reduction programs that make life-saving treatments like Narcan/Naloxone available. In collaboration with our college superintendentpresident, members discussed how the college might better address the impact of opioids and the fentanyl crisis—an important step to providing equitable access to the goals of the college mission. The superintendentpresident directed our chapter to design a project to address opioid overdose, with an emphasis on preventative measures, including the exploration of Narcan/Naloxone distribution. With administrative and faculty support, our chapter held the event, Opioid Overdose and Prevention: StudentLed Narcan Distribution, for forty-eight students, faculty, administration, and college trustees. The event included background and statistical information, direction on the symptoms of opioid overdose, and a demonstration of how to administer Narcan/Naloxone.