UW-Parkside Installs Narcan Boxes Across Campus
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside has installed Narcan boxes across campus that can be accessed by students if necessary. Narcan is a life-saving medicine that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. UW-Parkside is one of several UW System campuses that have signed an agreement with Wisconsin Voices of Recovery.
The boxes have been installed near many AED kits in 14 locations on campus. All campus police officers continue to carry kits in their squad cars as they were already doing so prior to this agreement. The Nalox-Zone boxes are available for students, staff, faculty and campus visitors to use as needed. When the boxes are opened, Wisconsin Voices of Recovery receives notification so they can be resupplied within 72 hours. University Police are not alerted when a box is opened.
Renee Sartin Kirby, Director of Student Health, Counseling and Accessibility Services at UW-Parkside shares her thoughts on what this agreement means for the university and its students. She states, “We are pleased to partner with Wisconsin Voices of Recovery in providing Narcan on campus in an effort to reduce the number of deaths due to an overdose of opioids.
“Despite progress in addressing the opioid epidemic over the past few years, the number of reported suspected opioid overdoses have been increasing in Wisconsin. Narcan is a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose and can prevent death if administered in a timely manner. Much like automated external defibrillators (AEDs), publicly accessible Narcan kits can save lives even before emergency personnel respond,” she explains.
The fourteen Narcan boxes are located in the following areas on campus:
- Nalox-ZONE boxes are located in all residential housing buildings, (Pike, Ranger, Apartments), Sports & Activity Center, all academic buildings (Rita, Molinaro, Greenquist), Wyllie Library, Student Center, Facilities Management, and Student Health and Counseling Center.
- Each box contains two doses of Narcan nasal spray, instructions for use, a mask for rescue breathing and a number to call for substance misuse treatment and support.
- Nalox-ZONE boxes are connected to the internet and will notify UW-Parkside when a spray bottle is removed, so it can be restocked.
- The Narcan spray is available for anyone who might need, or think they’ll need, the rescue medication for themselves or someone else. No one who takes a dose of the spray is identified.
Each box of Narcan contains step-by-step instructions for how to administer. Training on how to give Narcan is not required but a video about the recovery position is available here: Lifesaving Naloxone (cdc.gov)
Under the Wisconsin Good Samaritan Law, a person cannot be held civilly liable for a good faith effort to help in a life-threatening situation. State law also provides limited immunity from criminal prosecution for certain amounts of controlled substance possession and the possession of drug paraphernalia for a person who aids someone experiencing an overdose from a controlled substance.
Signs of an overdose:
- Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
- Unresponsive and cannot be woken up
- Slow, weak, or no breathing
- Making choking or gurgling sounds
- Limp body
- Cold, clammy skin
- Discolored skin, lips, or nails
Immediate actions to take during an overdose that could save a life:
- Call 911 (off-campus) or 262-595-2911 (on-campus) immediately
- Administer Naloxone (Narcan)
- Try to keep the person awake and breathing
- Lay the person on their side to prevent choking
- Stay with them until emergency responders arrive
Find out more and get important resources at Not What You Think Campaign | Alcohol & Other Drug Misuse Prevention (wisconsin.edu)
The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is committed to high-quality educational programs, creative and scholarly activities, and services responsive to its diverse student population, and its local, national, and global communities. We are a dynamic learning community grounded in academic excellence and focused on student success, diversity, inclusion, and community engagement. The campus serves as a premier comprehensive public institution and a destination of choice, serving as a focal point of local, regional, and global progress.
University Relations