Free Narcan initiative launches at UT Tyler campuses

TYLER — Doses of Narcan, the lifesaving nasal spray used to reverse overdoses and effects of fentanyl poisoning, are now available for students and staff of the University of Texas at Tyler. According to our news partner KETK, University officials said they are launching the initiative to make Narcan available on a regular basis in observance of the first Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month.

“Fentanyl is the No. 1 killer of Americans ages 18-45. Fentanyl-related deaths in Texas increased over 600% from 2019 to 2023, taking the lives of more than 7,000 innocent Texans in just 4 years,” the Office of Texas Governor Gregg Abbott said. “This crisis affects the lives of everyone, tearing away friends and family members from their loved ones.”

The university said with opioid and fentanyl dangers highlighted during the month of October, they wanted to make a lifesaving tool available.

“I’ve heard from students how helpless they felt when at a concert or bar, and they witness a drug overdose and have no means of helping,” said Elizabeth Caulkins, UT Tyler Title IX investigator/program and outreach specialist.

Narcan, a version of Naloxone that is the standard treatment for opioid overdose, was first approved for use without prescription in March of 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said.

UT Tyler’s Naloxone Access initiative was launched during their Music Festival and Artisan Marketplace event on Monday with officials expecting to hand out one hundred doses of Narcan. According to the university, regular distributions sites are set to open on Tuesday at the Tyler, Longview and Palestine campuses.

At the Tyler campus, students and staff can pickup Narcan at the Muntz Library front desk, University Center welcome desk and W.T. Brookshire Hall, School of Pharmacy Student Affairs Office.

University officials said they want the distribution sites to be “stigma-free, judgment-free and easy.”