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.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s another (tool) that they can have in their tool belt to potentially save someone\u2019s life,\u201d said Dr. Tara Karns-Wright, director of Naloxone Texas<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Overdoses can happen to those who least expect it, Karns-Wright said, as a person <\/strong>can unintentionally consume common medications such as Adderall or Xanax that are laced with other dangerous drugs such as Fentanyl.<\/p>\n The program was born out of the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center\u2019s school of nursing about six years ago, and last year it was moved to the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders.<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe really try to tailor it depending on the campus needs,\u201d Karns-Wright said. \u201cIt 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.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Student groups and college leaders at Alamo Colleges District, including San Antonio College, as well as at Huston\u2013Tillotson University in Austin, and San Jacinto College in Houston, have scheduled events in which Naloxone Texas plans <\/strong>to be present at events to provide information and dosages to those interested.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to Texas Health and Human Services, the number of unintentional deaths<\/a> due to drug overdose rose by about 80% between 2018 and 2023 across the state.\u00a0<\/p>\n