In McLean County, it’s relatively easy for the public to access training on opioid prevention and the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan. That’s largely due to efforts from health groups and the county government.
When treating the issue at the university level, student health and wellness officials at the three higher education institutions in Bloomington-Normal say there is less awareness, but an equivalent need.
“We know that this age of life is the riskiest period for use, and students are more likely to develop longer-term concerns with substance use disorders at this age,” said Jamie Laurson, an alcohol and drug interventionist at Illinois State University [ISU]. She pointed to a study showing that 90% of people with substance use disorder are likely to have developed their dependence in adolescence.
Laurson at ISU said it took several years for the university to start stocking Narcan, but she saw a need for it 10 years ago.
“Though most of our students at ISU don't use drugs, there are students who use drugs,” she said. “So we have students who are at risk of accidental drug poisonings due to using substances, and so this should be something that colleges and universities have available.”
ISU, Illinois Wesleyan University [IWU] and Heartland Community College have been providing Narcan freely to students at the respective health centers in recent years, but it’s on students to seek out that resource. None of the universities reported having overdoses on campus, but as Heartland Director of Student Counseling and Wellness Camille Springer put it, “we’re also not naive enough to think that could not happen.”
“I always say our department is as much educators as educators are,” she said.
In the college setting, where students might be trying alcohol for their first time and attending parties with multiple substances, Laurson said it’s particularly important for people to stay educated on prevention.
“The symptoms of an opiate reaction and alcohol reaction overlap pretty greatly,” she pointed out, adding that “there’s no danger in giving Narcan” even if someone is not having an opioid overdose. It won’t necessarily help the person with what they are battling in that case, but it also does not cause any reaction or harm in and of itself.
Heartland in particular is unique, Springer said, because it is not a four-year college with dorms. Students are more integrated in the community, and Springer said she and others in prevention are always highlighting that overdoses can happen anywhere. On campus, off school grounds or even out of town.
“I've heard firsthand stories of people that have whether they're in Chicago or just on a weekend trip, or they were at a friend's party, and have literally observed somebody going into an overdose, and so that's that's scary, and no one wants to have to do that, but I think there's a sense of of empowerment when you do know what to do,” she said.
It’s largely about preparedness, said Christina Armstrong, who directs IWU’s Counseling and Consultation Services.
“There's this tool that we can have available. Why wouldn't we have it?” she said.
Narcan training at IWU is largely spearheaded by the student organization AWE, which stands for awareness, wellness and education. Morgan Duffy, an IWU sophomore and AWE president, said she thinks it’s important to spread the word about topics including substance use and misuse among her peers.
“You never know what someone's going through, especially going to concerts, festivals, all these situations,” she said. “You never know what's happening, and so it's important to understand and be prepared.”
When conducting a previous Narcan training at Illinois Wesleyan, Duffy said she heard feedback from students later that they had no idea how serious and prevalent opioid abuse is. Whether from AWE’s efforts or a general push from the community, Duffy said she does think more people are talking about it, but even more could.
Universities also have more than just physical tools and training resources, Laurson with ISU said. ISU can connect people with counseling and substance use treatment if needed, and it has a student support group for those who struggle with substance use, as does Heartland.
Laurson said college is overall a perfect place and age to start educating people about opioid overdose prevention and other important health subjects.
“If we're building students for success, we want to look at mental health and substance use, and the whole kind of picture, not just academics and career,” she said.
