Narcan 101 training offers free overdose reversal medication for students

The UC Irvine Center for Student Wellness & Health Promotion taught students how to administer Narcan, a brand name for the opioid overdose reversal drug Naloxone, on Dec. 4. 

Narcan is a nasal spray device that can be used to prevent someone from overdosing on opioids — which are euphoria-inducing and pain relieving drugs — like heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, morphine, prescription opioid medications and more. To properly use Narcan, one must hold the device with their index and middle finger on both sides of the nozzle. The thumb should be placed on the bottom of what is called the plunger. To administer the medicine, one must put the nozzle in the overdosing person’s nostril, and push the plunger all the way to ensure it reaches the opioid receptor in the brain. 

UCI’s Alcohol and Other Drugs Programs Manager and Peer Education Programs Manager Cassie Finazzo led the one hour event, sharing the history of drug overdose deaths, when and how to use Narcan and other resources. Students who attended the training session received one free box of Narcan — which contained two of the nasal spray devices — and as many packs of fentanyl test strips they wanted. 

“So if someone’s going through that overdose, and you spray them with the Narcan, it’s going to come and save the day,” Finazzo told the students at the training. “It’s going to bump the opioid off of that receptor, and it’s going to bind to that receptor, essentially waking someone up [from] that overdose, sobering them up.”

After checking for signs of an opioid overdose — such as unresponsiveness, blue or pale skin, a slowed heart or breathing rate, lowered temperature and small pupils — Finazzo stressed the importance of calling 911 prior to administering Narcan during the training. She explained that some people can wake up fast and combative, or can even experience withdrawals right away if they are a regular opioid user. 

“I don’t want folks to think that they’ll have [Narcan] and they could right away be Superman,” Finazzo told New University. “That’s definitely not an expectation to put on anyone, because it’s definitely a scary responsibility, and hopefully you know it’s up to the person, ultimately, that’s why I give that strong encouragement to make that call to 911 first in that situation.”

In 2022, Governor Gavin Newsom signed Senate Bill 367, or the Campus Opioid Safety Act, which requires California universities, state colleges and community colleges to provide “educational and preventative information” on opioid overdoses as a part of campus orientations. It also requires higher education institutions to participate in the Naloxone Distribution Project, with individual health centers dispensing the medication at their own discretion. 

The United States and Canada saw an increase in over-the-counter Narcan availability when the Food and Drug Administration distributed 22 million doses to the region in 2023. Today, Narcan can be found at most pharmacies and online for around $45.

Last year, the CDC found that for the first time since 2018, the annual number of opioid-related overdose deaths decreased — to 81,083 cases from 84,181 in 2022. Additionally overall drug related deaths declined by 10.6% from June 2023 to June 2024. 

Finazzo is also open about her previous struggles with cannabis addiction. Alongside her work with the training sessions, the programs manager aims to offer students the Anteater’s Support Group — a regularly scheduled group meeting that provides an open space to talk about recovery, drug and alcohol addiction and eating disorders. Finazzo stated she started this initiative last year with around five students, but participation slowly dwindled down. In conjunction with breaking the stigma around the topic, she hopes to eventually see a large support group that is student-led.

“Something that I also want to work on, too, is, I think, just fighting that stigma,” Finazzo told New University. “I think [different collegiate recovery programs] do a better job of showing [they are] fighting that stigma, showing that like, ‘Hey, if you reach out to us for help, we’re not going to judge you. We will help you, you know, it’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

Students must attend a training session in order to receive a free two-dose box of Narcan. Available training dates in the winter quarter are Jan. 21, Feb. 10 and March 5. Registration information can be found on the Wellness Center’s website

Those looking for fentanyl test strips can visit the Wellness Center Office on the third floor of the Student Center. 

Students struggling with substance abuse can seek help at UCI’s alcohol and other drugs one-on-one consultations with Finazzo that range from 45 to 60 minutes. Other resources are also available, such as the campus Alcoholics Anonymous meetings and the JUUL Exchange Program — where students can trade in their electronic cigarettes for a free swipe into the Anteatery or Brandywine.

If a student believes they are witnessing an overdose on campus, they can call the UCI police or 911. 

Cassandra Nava is a Features Intern for the fall 2024 quarter. She can be reached at cassan2@uci.edu.

Edited by Kaelyn Kwon and Bianca Marroquin

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