With the opioid epidemic continuing to affect communities nationwide, Mesa College is taking proactive measures to prepare students with life-saving equipment by offering free Narcan kits and training on how to use them, with pop-up events like the one hosted by the Student Health Services on May 7.

Narcan is a single use nose spray that is applied to someone who shows symptoms of an overdose. It contains an active drug, naloxone, that detaches opioid receptors in the brain when applied, preventing the user from overdosing. Narcan isn’t a permanent solution, as the effects of the naloxone may only be temporary depending on the severity of the victim’s overdose. In any case, paramedics should be called even if Narcan was used. 

Nurse practitioner Laura Milligan conducted training for students on campus, along with showing multiple groups of students how to use Narcan and when to use it. It was made clear that even if someone passed out for an unknown reason, Narcan should still be administered since there are no negative side effects. Milligan reassured students that giving Narcan to someone without knowing the situation will always be the safest option. 

In San Diego alone, over 400 people have died due to overdoses in 2023. The California Department of Public Health has a list of tips for preventing an overdose, with one being to have naloxone. Narcan is readily available to any student on campus, and can be found in a vending machine outside of the Student Health Services Center. They are also an over-the-counter drug that can be obtained without a prescription at any pharmacy or grocery store.  

Pop-up events like these are important for students that live in communities impacted by the opioid crisis. “I think it’s important to stop being naive and to take away the stigma of drug use. The more people that are trained with Narcan, the higher chance of survivability for those who do use” said Milligan. 

Student Health Services are hosting another pop-up event on May 15 where students can participate by learning from trained professionals on how to prevent an overdose. They will be giving away free Narcan kits once again in the hopes that students will be prepared if put in a life-or-death situation.