The overdose prevention program Naloxone Texas, run by UT Health San Antonio, is kicking off a statewide campaign this fall aimed at preparing anyone at college campuses to take quick action in case of an overdose.
“It’s another (tool) that they can have in their tool belt to potentially save someone’s life,” said Dr. Tara Karns-Wright, director of Naloxone Texas.
Overdoses can happen to those who least expect it, Karns-Wright said, as a person can unintentionally consume common medications such as Adderall or Xanax that are laced with other dangerous drugs such as Fentanyl.
The program was born out of the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center’s school of nursing about six years ago, and last year it was moved to the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders.
Through federal and state funds, Naloxone Texas aims to distribute free dosages of the overdose medication Naloxone, commercially known as Narcan, across public and private colleges and universities.
Karns-Wright is also an assistant professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences with the Long School of Medicine at UT San Antonio. She describes the overdose prevention program as straightforward and accessible as they come.
“We really try to tailor it depending on the campus needs,” Karns-Wright said. “It could be that a university, for example, would like to have a lock-zone in each dorm or they would like to have some sort of place on campus where students can get it and carry it themselves. Or they may want all their public safety officers to carry it.”
Student groups and college leaders at Alamo Colleges District, including San Antonio College, as well as at Huston–Tillotson University in Austin, and San Jacinto College in Houston, have scheduled events in which Naloxone Texas plans to be present at events to provide information and dosages to those interested.
According to Texas Health and Human Services, the number of unintentional deaths due to drug overdose rose by about 80% between 2018 and 2023 across the state.
The institute currently operates 10 distribution hubs across Texas, including one in San Antonio at Corazon Ministries Inc. located at 504 Ave E., where people can pick up free dosages.
Program representatives are also available to provide training on how to use the medication to individuals or groups, who request it, including at college campuses.
The goal is to have these conversations be part of the student’s preparation to attend college, she said, not only for their own safety, but to be able to act if they ever encounter an overdose.
Upcoming local events include two Ready to Work job fairs at Alamo Colleges’ Westside Education Training Center on Oct. 2, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., and on Oct. 18, between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.
“We’ve gotten a lot of support from our state, realizing that this is an issue and they want to combat it,” Karns-Wright said. “I just want people to understand that, yes, it’s a sensitive topic, it’s a hard topic, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry.”