All of Hofstra’s public safety officers are required to carry NARCAN and are trained on how to administer the drug in the case of a narcotic overdose. // Photo courtesy of Simran Desai.
Amid a fentanyl epidemic that continues to affect millions, Hofstra is expanding the availability of NARCAN on campus and even offering courses to train students to respond to overdoses.
“Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans ages 18 through 45,” according to Breanna Baldwin, head of the harm reduction team at Overdose Lifeline in Indiana. “So that’s two generations of folks [who] fentanyl is the leading cause of death for.”
Over the last few years, fentanyl has been increasingly found laced with drugs commonly used by college students, such as marijuana.
Students who use drugs at Hofstra are aware of how serious the fentanyl epidemic really is. “When I am buying something like an edible or a punch bar, or someone random is coming up to me at a bar, my first thought is definitely ‘what could be in this,’” said a senior, who requested to remain anonymous.
Last October, New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed a legislation requiring all SUNY and CUNY schools to stock naloxone in on-campus residence facilities. The legislation also required that residence assistants must be officially certified to use naloxone and identify the signs of substance abuse through a training course.
Ever since the mandate of the new legislation, Hofstra has been proactive in its response to national increases in fentanyl-related drugs and overdoses.
Currently, all public safety officers at Hofstra carry NARCAN and are trained to administer it. They are also trained to recognize signs of narcotics use and signs of overdose, according to Jovanni Ortiz, manager of community outreach and engagement for the Department of Public Safety.
NARCAN is a “nasal spray that reverses the effects of the opioid and basically reverses the overdose,” said Robert Stahl, Hofstra’s head nurse practitioner.
If students are using drugs or know of someone using, they can receive a prescription for NARCAN from the Wellness Center, Stahl said. All requests for NARCAN through the Wellness Center are confidential.
There are also many opportunities to get certified in NARCAN administration around Hofstra’s campus.
A few years ago, Kristin LoNigro, a professor in the athletic training department, initiated an opioid overdose training program at Hofstra, administered through New York state. She became a certified NARCAN instructor and made Hofstra an approved site to teach the training. While LoNigro teaches CPR and AED in her first aid and safety classes, she now also teaches NARCAN training.
Students who wish to become certified in NARCAN administration are advised to register for the first aid and safety class, under the name “EXPH 010.” If taking this course is not an option, students can attend one of LoNigro’s training classes, which is taught once a semester and open to all students.
“You never know what’s going to happen, so it’s useful to know what to do in that situation; you can save so many people’s lives by knowing [how to use NARCAN],” said freshman biology major Natalie Arizmendi.
Due to popular demand, LoNigro taught two training classes this semester. At the end of the training classes, a blue NARCAN bag, including a face shield for CPR purposes, two NARCAN ampuls and extra resources, were distributed to the class.
“They’re walking out of that class with lifesaving skills that we hope they may never need. But if they do, they’re saving someone’s life,” LoNigro said.
Student-led organizations, such as Hofstra’s chapter of the American Medical Women’s Association (AMWA), are also beginning to hold training sessions. AMWA held a NARCAN training course on Monday, April 17, featuring guest speaker Stephen Butkus, adjunct assistant professor at Hofstra.
“Small steps lead to bigger things, and normalizing talking about addiction can create awareness,” Butkus said. He believes that raising awareness of substance abuse can help destigmatize drug abuse. “The more you share, the more likely people will change their attitude and perception,” Butkus said.
Sarah Wu, co-president of AMWA, helped organize the event. While she’s never seen anyone overdose, she said, “I still think having the knowledge about the risks of overdosing and the tools to potentially save someone’s life if you witness someone overdose [is] important.”
“I think that having more members of the community carry Narcan will be helpful,” Wu said. She was supportive in AMWA and Hofstra providing resources to students.
The number of overdoses due to synthetic opioids is still growing. “In 2020, more than 56,000 deaths involving synthetic opioids (other than methadone) occurred in the United States,” according to the Center for Disease Control. In 2021, fentanyl was known to cause 70,601 deaths, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Other synthetic opioids are emerging like protonitazene, U-47700 and carfentanil whose effects have been seen to be significantly worse than fentanyl.
For anyone struggling with substance abuse or who knows someone with addiction, visit the New York Department of Health’s website.