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A figure shows the number of unintentional overdose deaths in Ohio by county from 2009-2014. New guidelines for the prescription of opiates have been established.

OU resident assistants will not be trained to administer anti-heroin drug

In response to the nationwide heroin epidemic, University of Texas at Austin is training resident assistants to administer the life-saving antidote Naloxone to students who overdose on heroin and other opiates.

OU is not considering Naloxone training for resident assistants or any campus staff at this time, Pete Trentacoste, director of Housing and Residence Life, said. Both the Office of Health Promotion and Sober Bobcats, however, provide programming for students dealing with addiction in any capacity.

Only .2 percent of Ohio University students use heroin, according to a general health and wellness survey conducted by the Office of Health Promotion, and 2 percent of students have abused opiate painkillers.

“If a student was living with someone who was abusing an opiate, they should find out what resources are available to them,” Terry Koons, associate director of health promotion, said. “You don’t have to wait for an offense. … If somebody is moving into an addictive state, there are things that can be done, especially if that person is at harm to themselves or others.”

Naloxone was made available over the counter at every CVS store in Ohio as of March this year, meaning those who need it can purchase the drug without a prescription for $20 to $40. Some schools in Ohio and their campus police have made efforts to raise awareness about the availability of the drug and what to do in the event of an overdose.

“We worked with our campus first responders, and while we are not specifically training RAs in administering Naloxone, we have done extensive training for them to know what it is, and that it is available at the on-campus university pharmacy,” David Isaacs, spokesman for The Ohio State University, said in an email.

Kent State University trained dispatchers to give over-the-phone instructions to emergency callers on how to use Naloxone, and the Portage County Health Department provided police officers with the antidote and trained them to administer it, Tricia Knoles, community resource police officer for Kent State University, said.

Kent State’s Psychological Services and Office of Health Promotions will also host Rise Up to Heroin/Opiate Abuse on Oct. 25. The event will include a candlelight vigil and course offerings for all interested, including resident assistants, from Project Dawn, a free community-based program that provides overdose education and distributes Naloxone.

Fear of potential backlash from families of residents whose resident assistants failed to revive their loved ones could be why many schools have not implemented resident assistant training with Naloxone, Koons said.

“We have to look at the liability issues,” he said. “If somebody saw somebody in need and had (Naloxone) and used it, what would happen if they did not survive? Would the family then feel like, well, was it the person’s fault? Who knows.”

The first step to getting help for an addiction and preventing overdose is to come forward about what is happening and utilize available resources, Koons said.

“The biggest resource we have in health promotion is that, if anyone is struggling with addiction, we have resources for that,” Koons said. “(Using those resources) usually comes down to people being ready for behavior change.”

@hopiewankenobe

hr503815@ohio.edu

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