In the face of increasing opioid-related deaths nationally, the University has ramped up efforts to combat the dangers of synthetic opioids, working to educate students and reduce the harm caused by the deadly drug.
By 2023, the Office of Substance Use Programs Education & Resources (SUPER) started initiatives like the PEERS program and ChemX that provide free, anonymous access to naloxone (Narcan) and fentanyl test strips in campus residences. Since then, SUPER has shifted its strategy to focus on harm reduction training and preparing students to act in emergency situations.
In 2020, Stanford undergraduate Eitan Weiner tragically died from a fentanyl overdose, leading to an increase in response efforts, including expanded access to Narcan, heightened awareness campaigns about drug safety and renewed discussions on harm reduction. The National Center for Health Statistics reported in 2022 that out of 107,941 drug overdose deaths that year, illicit fentanyl was the primary drug involved.
“We’ve been confronting the opioid epidemic face-on at Stanford for years,” said Ralph Castro, associate dean and director of SUPER. “We tell students that they should assume that any illegal drug brought on the market could be laced with fentanyl.”
One of Stanford’s biggest steps toward reducing harm has been installing ChemX shelves, which stock free Narcan and fentanyl test strips in dorms. ChemX shelves have been installed in all Row House dining rooms and the laundry rooms of all undergraduate dorms. Castro and his team aim to install these shelves in all graduate residences next.
Another critical step has been training students on how to use Narcan, a life-saving nasal spray that can rapidly reverse opioid overdoses by blocking the effects of opioids on the brain and restoring normal breathing.
Natalie Lynch, director of education and outreach at SUPER, said that all Residential Assistants (RAs) receive training on naloxone administration. She added that for the first time, all incoming first-year students this year received education on the opioid epidemic, including how to recognize overdose symptoms, administer Narcan and locate campus resources.
The PEERS program also hosts biweekly naloxone training at the Well House, where students can learn how to respond to overdoses.
“I think [Narcan training] was really helpful because honestly, Narcan is one of the easiest things you can use,” said Sasha Balasingam ’27, who attended a Narcan training session. “But there’s a huge barrier in knowing and feeling comfortable about how to use it in times of an emergency.”
Students and organizations who cannot attend in-person training can request private sessions from the SUPER website.
To further educate the community, SUPER holds a Fentanyl Awareness Day every May, in which students can learn about the dangers of synthetic opioids and harm reduction strategies, as well as participate in Narcan training.
SUPER also provides free and private substance use support sessions to help students make informed choices. Cardinal Recovery, a peer-led support program for substance use and behavioural addictions, offers weekly recovery meetings, mentorship and events.
Stanford, however, isn’t alone in this fight. Lawmakers and public health leaders across California are pushing for wider Narcan access and opioid education. To that end, the state recently launched the Facts, Fight, Fentanyl campaign, which aims to raise awareness and encourage Narcan accessibility.
“When we conducted formative research with focus groups, we found that overall awareness of naloxone was low,” said Jessica Hwang, the public awareness section chief of the Substance and Addiction Prevention Branch at the California Department of Public Health.
Among other resources, the campaign provides an interactive map to locate Narcan distribution sites and aims to educate Californians aged 16-39, a demographic at higher risk of opioid exposure.
“There is still a stigma associated with carrying naloxone, but we want to ensure that anyone who wants it can obtain it easily,” Hwang said.