Even if you don’t expect to encounter opioid overdose, it can still happen to you or around you. Check out this guide to understand how opioid overdoses are reversed, how you can be prepared for them, how the law protects saving a life and how IU South Bend students are advancing harm-reduction efforts.
Narcan (naloxone) temporarily reverses overdose
Narcan and its generic version naloxone are FDA-approved treatments for opioid overdose. Opioids, also called narcotics, are depressants, meaning they reduce activity in your nervous system and can create a high. Common opioids include heroin, fentanyl and OxyContin, but they can be mixed with other drugs without the user knowing. Opioids can be highly addictive even in the form of prescription pills.
Naloxone is available as an injection or nasal spray. It is an opioid antagonist, which means it attaches to the same receptors as opioids, temporarily pushing other opioids away to reverse and block their effects.
The treatment lasts approximately 30-90 minutes. It is possible to experience overdose symptoms after the medication wears off. While naloxone is being administered, call 911. Stay with the individual until emergency medical assistance arrives.
Not every opioid overdose is intentional or occurs with illegal substances. Combining prescription opioids with other medications, such as benzodiazepines, can increase the risk of overdose.
Some warning signs of opioid overdose include slow or shallow breathing, very small pupils, pale skin and a faint heartbeat.
The amount of medication to cause an overdose can differ from person to person. Preparation saves lives. Learning when and how to administer naloxone can improve health outcomes.
IU offers free Citizen Opioid Responders training
Citizen Opioid Responders (COR) training is offered free of charge to all Indiana residents. The virtual activity session can be completed in approximately 30 minutes. COR training is accessible to individuals without medical knowledge or experience.
The COR website also provides links to naloxone locators, where the medication can be obtained for free in your area. Find training at prevention.iu.edu/projects/stopoverdose.
The program includes funding for NaloxBoxes on IU campuses. Naloxone is available at River Crossing Campus Housing in the Community Building. Students and community members can find it next to the AED in the Great Room.
There is an additional NaloxBox in the Franklin D. Schurz Library. Naloxone is available on the first floor, located on the wall near the elevators.
NaloxBoxes include a QR code that links to the COR training. Individuals are welcome to utilize the resource, even in the absence of an active opioid emergency. Naloxone can make a smart addition to your portable first aid kit.
Aaron’s Law protects good Samaritans
According to the Indiana Department of Health, 74 St. Joseph County residents died from drug overdose in 2024. Even when naloxone is accessible, bystanders may fear the legal repercussions of helping someone who is experiencing an opioid overdose.
Aaron’s Law protects good Samaritans who administer naloxone. The infographic from the details these protections.
Visit in.gov/health/overdose-prevention/resources-for-the-public to view public resources on overdose prevention.
A.N.A.R.C.H.Y. champions harm reduction
The student organization, Association for Nonpartisan Academic Research, Civics, Human Rights and Youth Empowerment (A.N.A.R.C.H.Y.), advocates for social justice. Nix Delucia, the founder of A.N.A.R.C.H.Y., shares harm reduction initiatives that expand access to life-saving opioid overdose resources.
“I’m registered through the government of Indiana, as well as through Overdose Lifeline,” Delucia said. “I’ve had Narcan training for seven or eight years now. I just refresh myself every year, watching videos, just making sure that there’s no new data that I need to know.”
Delucia explained the steps he took to become a harm reduction advocate. There was no active distributor on IU campuses at the time he registered.
“As for actually becoming a distributor, I have reached out to Overdose Lifeline to see if a bunch of testing strips for fentanyl and xylazine, as well as Narcan,” he said. “They said well, if you are interested in handing these out on campus and doing events, why don’t you become a distributor?”
A.N.A.R.C.H.Y. provides harm reduction training, naloxone and drug checking strips. Delucia reflected on the barriers and challenges some students have in accessing the products.
“For getting Narcan and test strips, it’s very difficult if you don’t know your online resources for how to find locations. Most of the locations on campus that distribute are either community-based organizations, like Imani Unidad, or they go out into the street and do work on the streets for it. Or it’s the jails. I highly doubt most people want to go to a jail to pick up Narcan for free,” Delucia said.
Before the NaloxBoxes were installed in the Community Building and the Franklin D. Schurz Library, access to naloxone on campus was very limited. This resource allows students and community members to access the product for free. NaloxBoxes meet a critical gap in need, as purchasing naloxone over the counter can be costly and inaccessible to some.
“We could do more; however, IU doesn’t necessarily see that students want to have it readily available. A lot of people don’t know about it, or they don’t think that they’re going to be around someone who is on opioids or happens to get fentanyl. They don’t really think about it, because they think college kids are only going to drink,” Delucia said.
A.N.A.R.C.H.Y. and local organizations continue to provide social services, education and substance abuse intervention. Harm reduction is not a “cure” for substance abuse. The strategies are centered around the dignity and worth of all people, especially those at risk for opioid overdose. The goal is to reduce the overall health consequences of substance use and to meet people where they are.
