Texas State University starts Narcan distribution program
SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) – Cameron Hohn is studying wildlife biology at Texas State University. She said she lost a friend to a cocaine overdose a couple of years ago and suspects the drug was tainted with fentanyl, a powerful opioid.
“I have other friends that I know use and I’m scared that that’s gonna happen to them too,” she said.
Overdoses in adolescents aged 10 to 19 increased by 109% from July 2019 to December 2021, according to the CDC.
In hopes of preventing overdose deaths at Texas State University’s San Marcos and Round Rock campuses, the opioid overdose-reversing drug, Naloxone, or Narcan, is now available for free.
University faculty, staff and students can access the medication at three locations across the San Marcos campus – at the Student Health Center, Student Recreation Center, and the main entrance of the Alkek Library, according to a news release.
“I think it’s really good for [students] to have the access in case they know people who are using and might need it eventually. Especially with how much drugs are getting tainted these days, nobody really knows what they’re using,” Hohn said.
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“Unfortunately, we’ve heard about so many deaths of young people across the country who overdosed on medication that was laced with something like fentanyl, which made it extremely dangerous,” said Dr. Emilio Carranco, assistant vice president for the TXST Student Success and director of University Health Services, in a press release.
“Even though we have not seen any particular problem with opioid overdoses in our Texas State students, the fact is it is a growing problem in the community. Because we continue to see more and more young people dying from opioid overdose, we felt like it was time to raise awareness on our campuses,” he continued.
Those affiliated with the university can request up to two doses of the medication weekly and are not required to provide identifying information to receive it, per the release.
The Texas Targeted Opioid Response project and the University of Texas Health San Antonio School are funding the distribution initiative.
“We’re going to monitor the program, restock the distribution points as needed, and then reassess at the end of the semester to see how it’s working,” Carranco said.
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