NorthWest Arkansas Community College held an overdose prevention and Narcan training event on campus on Oct. 7. The event was led by the college’s counseling and wellness department, along with guest speakers from NWA Harm Reduction, Brittany Kelly and Chris Jones. NWA Harm Reduction is a local non-profit organization that partners with colleges and universities to share about the resources they have available for the community such as free naloxone [Narcan], fentanyl testing strips, harm reduction items, 24/7 crisis hotline, etc. On the organization’s website, the mission statement says, “Foster a community that prioritizes safety, dignity, and respect for all through compassionate, evidence-based harm reduction practices and a deep understanding of individual needs.”
At the event, the guest speakers demonstrated and lectured on how to use the naloxone kits along with giving out kits, at the demonstration’s end, to attendees who wanted one. An Arkansas state law went into effect in 2023 that established a plan for public high-schools and state-supported institutions to carry naloxone kits on campus. Many of the college’s faculty and staff have had required training for the kits; yet, the kits have been deemed crucial for everyone to carry with them in day-to-day lives.
Brittany Kelly, guest speaker from NWA Harm Reduction, spoke about her personal experience with the loss of her brother due to a heroin overdose in 2017. That loss led to her involvement in the organization and efforts to help prevent the harm for others in this drug crisis. Kelly spoke about the importance of everyone carrying Narcan, not for the intended use for yourself but for the scenario where someone around you might need it.
Chris Jones, guest speaker for NWA Harm Reduction, said, “We’re not carrying Narcan to be used on ourselves, right? We can’t hit ourselves when we overdose. So, we’re carrying it in the event that we encounter somebody that potentially is overdosing. That could be just using the restroom at the gas station and seeing somebody laid out and in the stalls.”
Many people showed up to the special training event that Tuesday, such as NWACC student Kaitlin Mountz. She attended the free demonstration, which sparked her interest in wanting to learn more about the resources and information available for students on campus and what she can take away from her own experiences.
“I have addicts in my family, although I’ve gotten away from them, I’ve been around enough people who have overdosed. It’s really scary, but this is stuff that I need to know. What if something happens, especially if it’s becoming more common,” Mountz said.
NWA Harm reduction provides resources on the organization’s website, nwaharmreduction.org/resources, along with their hotline, (479)-553-9459. The non-profit works to educate the community on how to save lives through harm reduction practices. NWACC has a dedicated resource page on the college’s website on where to locate the naloxone kits in Benton and Washington counties campuses, along with information on how to use the kit in case of emergency. For more information about NWACC naloxone kits and where to locate them, visit https://www.nwacc.edu/administrativeservices/riskmanagement/opioidoverdosekits.html.
