ALL ACADEMICS, STAFF, AND STUDENTS AT UC SAN DIEGO (Including UC San Diego Health)
Introducing UC San Diego’s Naloxone Distribution Project
Dear UC San Diego community,
Beginning Wednesday, April 5, 2023, UC San Diego students will be able to pick up free naloxone spray and fentanyl test strips via Student Health and Well-being’s Naloxone Distribution Project. This project is a foundational component of UC San Diego’s harm-reduction approach to addressing drug use and misuse as well as combating the rise of fentanyl-related overdoses in our San Diego community.
What is fentanyl? Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid painkiller. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that more than 150 people die daily from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Due to its synthetic nature, fentanyl is typically cheaper and is added into drugs like cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, ecstasy/molly, and counterfeit pills such as Adderall, Xanax, and Oxycontin. Two milligrams of pure fentanyl, about the size of four grains of salt, is enough to kill an average adult. People at highest risk of overdose and fatality are those who unknowingly take fentanyl. Naloxone, or Narcan, is a medication that counters the effects of opioid overdose. Access to naloxone saves lives.
Naloxone Distribution Project Naloxone is an opioid reversal medication that is easy to use and small to carry. Naloxone is administered as a nasal spray and has minimal side effects.
Free naloxone spray and fentanyl test strips will be available through pick-up from Health Promotion Services (HPS) – a Student Health and Well-being department – at the Student Health Services building, Wednesdays through Fridays from 1-4 p.m. through Week 10 of every quarter. Students will need to watch the informational video and take the knowledge check here prior to pick-up. Once completed, students can pick-up the naloxone spray and fentanyl test strips. This information can also be found on the HPS website.
If you are interested in learning more, please RSVP for the Naloxone Distribution Project Kick-Off event on Tuesday, April 25.
If you or someone you care about needs support around drug use or would like to learn more about harm reduction or recovery services, check out our website or sign up for a one-on-one session with Health Promotion Services.
Alysson M. Satterlund Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Patricia S. Maysent Chief Executive Officer for UC San Diego Health
University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA, 92093
