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The medication can counteract a fentanyl or opioid overdose, the organization says
SAN ANTONIO – Naloxone Texas is working to ensure the life-saving medication is easily accessible and available at every college campus in the state.
“In Texas, there’s legislation for K through 12 schools, and there’s legislation for other workforces, but there’s not really a systematic way of getting into our colleges and universities,” said Dr. Tara Karns-Wright. “It’s so important for college students because we know that fentanyl is actually the leading cause of death for individuals ages 18 to 45. And so that encapsulates that age group”.
Karns-Wright is the director of Naloxone Texas, a program of the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and its patient-care enterprise, UT Health San Antonio.
Karnes-Wright is also an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the UT San Antonio Health Science Center.
“If there’s a college party, for example, and students may think they’re taking a Xanax or an Adderall, there actually could be fentanyl in that pill, unfortunately,“ Karns-Wright said. ”And if they don’t know that, they could overdose from that ingestion of that pill.”
Some UTSA students said everyone they know has been affected by fentanyl, either through an accidental overdose of someone they know or a loved one.
“It was really, really tragic. It took time for people to get back into their daily lives, and it really affected a lot of people personally,” said Joaquin Ventimilla.
After a demonstration of how naloxone works, many students were surprised to learn it wasn’t already on campuses across Texas.
“I think it’s not even like college campuses everywhere, but yeah, I think this is the best place to have them for sure,” said Rida Hussiaw and Yoalli Echeverria.
Naloxone Texas is working with as many colleges and universities as possible. Organizations interested in receiving free medication or training should contact them through their website.