Sep. 18 — Over the summer, Prevention & Education, in collaboration with OARS and Facilities, installed 8 Opioid Rescue Kits across campus.
Each kit contains at least two doses of Narcan nasal spray, as well as a CPR face shield and both written and visual instructions on identifying a potential opioid overdose and administering the nasal spray.
Narcan is a brand name for nalaxone, an opioid antagonist. It binds to opioid receptors in the body, blocking the actual opioid from binding to them and causing harm. The nasal spray takes effect within ten minutes and can block the effects of opioids for 30 to 90 minutes, biding time for medical professionals to arrive on scene.
The 8 kits are located in the Dakin living room, Merrill living room, Dakin F/G lobby, Merrill B lobby, outside the mail room in the Library, in the lobby of the Dining Commons, outside the Enfield laundry room, and outside the Prescott Tavern.
Anyone on campus may open a kit and use its contents in the event of a suspected opioid overdose, and each kit will be checked and restocked as needed daily.
Narcan is also available to members of the campus community through group and 1-on-1 trainings offered by Prevention and Education year-round.
Funding for the kits came from Hampshire HOPE, a program of Northampton’s Department of Health, focused on preventing opioid overdose in Hampshire County.
