U.S. college students can spot signs of an opioid overdose and are willing to help, but many don't know how to use the drug naloxone to reverse an overdose.
In a survey of undergraduate and graduate students, 62 percent could recognize at least one symptom of an opioid overdose and 67 percent were comfortable with calling emergency services. However, there was less awareness about naloxone, the drug used to reverse an opioid overdose. 30 percent knew the purpose of naloxone, and 14 percent knew how to administer it, as reported by researchers on April 22 in JAMA Pediatrics.
According to Christina Freibott, a substance use and health policy researcher at Boston University School of Public Health, this is the first study to evaluate opioid overdose awareness in a national sample of U.S. college students, providing a starting point for understanding the level of knowledge in this population.
Freibott and colleagues examined data from the 2021–2022 Healthy Minds Study, which surveyed college students aged 18 to 25 about mental health issues. The fact that two-thirds of the over 7,000 respondents would be comfortable calling for help during an overdose suggests the opportunity for wider opioid education and naloxone training programs, says Freibott. She adds, “college students are already willing to intervene but need the knowledge and resources to do so.”
Increasing awareness of how to use naloxone is a significant public health priority . Numerous health departments conduct training sessions for the public and provide naloxone. The drug is also accessible on college campuses and at community centers, sometimes through vending machines. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved naloxone nasal spray, marketed as Narcan, for over-the-counter use . The vast majority of opioid deaths in the United States are caused by fentanyl and other synthetic opioids. An increasing number of these deaths are happening among individuals under the age of 20 . Some adolescents and young adults overdose after unintentionally consuming fentanyl while taking fake prescription drugs in 2023 (, which are increasingly tainted with or entirely composed of the synthetic opioid. The proportion of U.S. overdose deaths involving counterfeit pills with evidence of usage grew from 2 percent in mid-2019 to almost 5 percent in late 2021. Among the nearly 2,500 overdose deaths in 34 states and Washington D.C. in 2021 that involved counterfeit pills,).
22 percent occurred among 15- to 24-year-olds , as reported by researchers inMorbidity and Mortality Weekly Report Signs of an opioid overdose consist of slow or shallow breathing, snoring noises, small pupils, and unresponsiveness. Normal breathing should resume 2 to 3 minutes (SN: 4/28/23after administering naloxone nasal spray , according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If not, another dose might be necessary. A fentanyl overdose may also require multiple naloxone doses.The new study serves as a valuable reminder not to assume that specific groups of people are aware of or comfortable using naloxone, according to Jon Agley, a researcher focusing on substance use and mental health at Indiana University School of Public Health in Bloomington. Research indicates that educating about overdose and giving out naloxone can stop deathsfrom opioids. “Figuring out the best ways to spread those programs is an important next move,” Agley says, including the most helpful ways to involve college students. A study of college students found that a lot are okay with calling emergency services for an overdose, but fewer understand how to help with naloxone. in 2023.
The signs of an opioid overdose include slow or shallow breathing, snoring noises, small pupils and unresponsiveness. Normal breathing should resume 2 to 3 minutes after a dose of naloxone nasal spray, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. If not, another dose may be needed. A fentanyl overdose may also require multiple naloxone doses.
The new study “serves as a good reminder that we should not assume that certain groups of people are aware of or comfortable using naloxone,” says Jon Agley, who studies substance use and mental health at Indiana University School of Public Health in Bloomington. Research suggests that overdose education and naloxone distribution can help prevent deaths from opioids. “Learning how best to disseminate those programs is an important next step,” Agley says, including the most effective ways to engage college students.
