The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) is providing institutions with the life-saving opioid overdose drug naloxone — also known by the brand name Narcan — as California college students get ready to return to campus for the spring semester.
With the passage of Senate Bill 367 — popularly known as the Campus Opioid Safety Act — CDPH will collaborate with public universities to provide naloxone and educate students about its use to prevent opioid-related overdoses on school campuses.
Narcan, delivered as a nasal spray, can almost instantly reverse an overdose, although it is still advisable to request emergency assistance if someone has overdosed.
The law, which goes into effect on January 1, seeks to reduce lethal overdoses on university campuses. Schools can order naloxone through the Naloxone Distribution Project at no cost, according to the California Department of Public Health.
“Some colleges already make Naloxone and overdose education a top priority, and our goal is to continue supporting them while also breaking additional barriers and stigma that may be preventing us from talking about overdose and keeping students alive,” CDPH Director, Tomas Aragon, said.