Poly Talks

The podcast episode of Poly Talks discusses the importance of Narcan in saving lives during opioid overdoses. It explains how Narcan works, its role in stabilizing overdose cases, and provides step-by-step instructions for administering it. The hosts share personal experiences, address misconceptions, and highlight the accessibility of Narcan on Cal Poly's campus and in San Luis Obispo. They emphasize the need to normalize carrying Narcan and encourage students to be prepared to help others. Suggestions are made to increase visibility and awareness of Narcan distribution. The episode concludes with a reminder to be prepared, look out for each other, and access resources for Narcan training and kits. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to Poly Talks, the podcast where we talk about real issues that matter to students at Cal Poly. I'm your host, Liz Bessula, and today we're tackling a topic that could literally save lives. Opioid overdose and the life-saving medication Narcan. Whether you've heard of it before or this is all new to you, this episode is for you. And to help us out, we're joined by Kaitlin Lee and Ermi Lopez, health educators from Unicampus Shields. Thank you for being here today. Thanks for having us. We're glad to be part of this conversation and help share some really important information that all students should know. Yeah, perfect. So let's first start with the basics. For students who may not be familiar, can you briefly explain what Narcan is, maybe how it works in the body during an opioid overdose and why it's important? Yeah, so Narcan is basically a medication that has been FDA approved and you don't really need to assemble it or inject it. And it's easily sprayed into one nostril and could be used with no prior training. So what it does, it rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, blocking its effect on someone who might have ingested an opioid. It quickly works to restore the normal breathing of someone who may have had their breathing stopped or slowed down because of the overdose. And something to note about Narcan is that even though someone doesn't have opioid in their system, it wouldn't hurt them to administer this Narcan. Yeah, that's really helpful to know. So have you seen an increase in opioid overdoses recently and how has Narcan helped stabilize in those cases? Yes, absolutely. Overdose rates have actually been rising nationwide, especially because there has been a recent trend of fentanyl being mixed into other drugs. And Narcan has been a huge tool in overdose prevention because it can reverse an overdose fast and keep someone stable until emergency services get there. Yeah, that's really scary to hear, but it's good to know there is something to help. Okay, so now let's say someone thinks a friend might be overdosing and they have Narcan with them. What should they do? So the first thing you should always do is call 911 right away. And then you should check if the person is unresponsive and breathing slowly or not at all. And as we mentioned before, Narcan won't hurt someone if you administer it, even if they don't have an opioid in their system. So in the case that you do have Narcan, you should start by tilting their head back, insert the Narcan spray into one nostril, and then press the plunger. And then after you administer the Narcan, make sure to stay with them and then keep an eye on their breathing. And if they don't become responsive in around two to three minutes, you can give them a second dose. And even after administering Narcan, whether it's one or two times, you should still stay with them and make sure emergency services come to check on their vitals later. Okay, and have you or someone you know ever witnessed or responded to an overdose? Yes, I actually personally had a real life experience where I had to use Narcan at a music festival on one of my mutual friends. We were like in the crowd when I first noticed she was standing a little bent over, her breathing seemed pretty shallow, her lips looked a little swollen, and then she looked very out of it. And I was the only one who noticed. And when I checked up on her, she told me she thought she was overdosing. And then she had actually taken both Molly and Ecstasy earlier that night. And then she started choking on her words. I mean, it was very scary in the moment, but I remembered we had Narcan and I knew how to use it. So I ended up telling my group that we were with to start clearing away out the crowd while I administer a dose of Narcan. And then some of the festival workers noticed us and helped us take her into the medical tent, where they checked up on her condition and then they confirmed that the Narcan was successful. And it was a moment that made me really realize how important it is to be prepared and why people should just carry Narcan in general, because it can really save lives. Yeah, wow. Thank you for sharing that. And yes, I agree that it really shows the importance of being prepared. What are some common misconceptions people have about Narcan or overdose prevention and how can we reduce the stigma around its use? Yeah, I think with Narcan, it's usually associated with drug use. And if you have one, then it means you're taking part in this. But I think the majority of the time, we also tend to diminish the importance of carrying one because we think that it won't happen to us or it won't happen to people around us. I think for this part, we have to normalize Narcan as a safety tool and not necessarily as a drug thing. Just emphasizing the idea that it can be a tool that anyone can and should have. And also encouraging students' organizations to have Narcan available and basically associating it to like a first aid kit. And we see first aid kits in every single building. And I think this should also be the case for Narcan. Yeah, I love that comparison to a first aid kit. It really puts things into perspective. So now, what would you say to students who are nervous or unsure about carrying Narcan? Initially, when I just learned about it, I was also like hesitant to carry one around me, primarily because of the misconception. And I think it's completely normal to feel unsure since we may think that only medical professionals should carry. But I think it's just important to keep in mind how carrying one could potentially save someone's life, whether it being a roommate, a friend, or just someone. And you're basically taking the initiative to be there for someone. Yeah. Okay, so how accessible is Narcan on Cal Poly's campus or around San Luis Obispo? Are there any changes you think could make it more visible or easier to offer for students? So it's actually pretty easy if you're actively trying to get Narcan and know where to look. For example, Cal Poly's health services offer it for free. And there are also pop-up events on campus where they hand it out and show you how to use it. And then around SLO, some pharmacy and local organizations like SLO Bangers Syringe Exchange also give it out. And honestly, a lot of students aren't aware of these spots because they aren't actively looking. And sometimes they aren't the most obvious. But to make it more obvious or more visible to students, it would be really helpful to have permanent distribution spots like, for example, the dorms or the rec center or even vending machines and PCV. And then plus also having more awareness events during student orientation or general campus events would be a good idea. So students know it's available and normal to carry and they just know how to use it in general. Something to point out too is how Narcan could be also accessible through online. I have previously encountered a website that offers Narcan but also offers the training to obtain one, which is pretty good, especially since a lot of students may be hesitant to go one-on-one with other individuals and obtain Narcan through this. It could be anonymous things and it's also mailed out to people who participate in this. Yeah, that sounds amazing. So this has been such an important conversation. Thank you both for being here today and clearing up some of the confusion around Narcan and overdose prevention. Thank you for having us too. Thank you. Okay, so some things to remember are that carrying Narcan doesn't mean you expect the worst. It just means you're prepared to help if something ever happens. And it's really just about looking out for each other. And if you want to learn more, get trained or pick up a free Narcan kit, check out the health center or visit the uni campus shield website. Thanks for listening, Mustang.