Narcan boxes now found around campus

By Brianna Wallen

News Editor

In response to the growing opioid crisis, the university has implemented new initiatives aimed at increasing access to naloxone, also known as Narcan, and educating the campus community.  

Funded by a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to the Connecticut Healthy Campus Initiative, the university has recently adopted public Narcan boxes. 

“I worked with facilities to identify the locations and have the boxes installed once I purchased the boxes and the signs,” Sarah Kaiser, coordinator of Alcohol and Drug Services,  said. 

Keiser said that she wanted to place the public access naloxone boxes in high-traffic campus buildings. 

Located in 20 buildings on campus from residence halls to Buley Library, these boxes are available for members of the campus community to use in case of an opioid overdose emergency. 

To enhance visibility, purple overdose signs have been placed above each box. Additionally, the alarmless boxes contain instructions on how to administer naloxone, which are also displayed on digital boards and throughout campus buildings. 

The alarmless feature allows individuals to have immediate access to Narcan in the event of an emergency.  

“In some cases, emergency first responders may not arrive on scene for several minutes, so this allows a person to intervene immediately if they know where the Narcan boxes are located in each building,” Keiser said.  

Along with Narcan boxes, the university is committed to combating opioid overdoses by raising awareness about the critical role naloxone has in saving lives. 

“Naloxone has been a life-saving drug that has been instrumental in the reduction of opioid overdose deaths in the US and across the world,” Keiser said. 

Keiser said that the funding was also intended for Connecticut Institutions of Higher Education to develop opioid and stimulant education initiatives that will benefit campus communities.  

Through offering prevention and recovery programs targeted at lowering the number of deaths from opioid overdoses, the State Opioid Response grant has expanded access to treatment and worked toward educating the university’s community on opioid use disorder for the last three years. 

Keiser said that she has been working in a partnership with the Department of Health in New Haven to carry out and offer opioid overdose training for members of the campus community.   

“Every August, we do training for resident advisers and have done training for athletics and coaches, incoming nursing students this past summer and other departments on campus,” Keiser said. 

To provide more information, Keiser said that a campus map that identifies the Narcan box’s locations on campus and information on the Good Samaritan Policy was sent out to all students and staff last week.  

The university’s Alcohol and Drug Services website will also provide further details. 

With the new initiative implemented, Keiser said that she hopes this momentum does not stop. 

“My hope is that we continue to raise awareness on campus about opioid use and the importance of Narcan in saving lives,” Keiser said. 

To receive a map and a good samaritan poster or to gain more information on where to attend an opioid overdose training, contact Sarah Keiser at keisers3@southernct.edu.