New California law allows colleges, universities to obtain naloxone without cost
SACRAMENTO – As California college students prepare to return to campus for the spring semester, the California Department of Public Health is connecting universities with the life-saving opioid overdose medication naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan.
Following the passage of Senate Bill 367, also known as the Campus Opioid Safety Act, CDPH will soon work with public colleges to prevent opioid-related overdoses on school campuses by providing naloxone and educating young people on its uses.
The department will be required to provide educational information on opioid overdose during student orientations at all campuses in the California State University and California Community Colleges systems.
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"Many overdose deaths can be prevented with Naloxone, a life-saving drug that's available to many colleges and universities at no cost," said State Public Health Officer and CDPH Director Tomas Aragon. "Some colleges already make Naloxone and overdose education a top priority, and our goal is to continue supporting them while also breaking additional barriers and stigma that may be preventing us from talking about overdose and keeping students alive."
Universities can order naloxone doses free of charge via the Department of Health Care Services' Naloxone Distribution Project thanks to federal and state funding.