Elizabeth Caulkins, UT Tyler Title IX Investigator and Program/Outreach Specialist, wants to educate and save lives with new UT Tyler Naloxone Access Initiative launching on Tuesday. (Contributed photo)

On Monday, UT Tyler gave out 100 doses of Narcan as part of its new Naloxone Access Initiative during the musical festival and artisan marketplace at UT Tyler Patriot Plaza.

As part of their access initiative, UT Tyler now has Narcan — the nasal spray version of naloxone which is used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose— available at multiple locations at their campuses as of Tuesday. The university hopes providing access to Narcan empowers students and helps prevent overdoses.

“Saving lives is the ultimate goal,” said Elizabeth Caulkins, UT Tyler Title IX Investigator and Program/Outreach Specialist.

Ages 18 to 24 “are the most impacted” by fentanyl overdoses, Caulkins said. She has heard stories of students accidentally taking pills thinking they are taking a regular pill but in reality they are laced with fentanyl.

“It only takes a tiny, tiny amount of fentanyl that can kill someone,” Caulkins said.

Distribution sites will be available at the UT Tyler campus, along with the Longview and Palestine campuses. Each location will have 20 doses available. As the initiative continues, they will adjust based on the communities’ needs.

Anyone in the UT Tyler community can receive Narcan for free. They ask students, staff and faculty to self-report. However, no identifiable information will be collected.

“We want it to be a stigma-free, judgment-free zone, where they pick up the Narcan and have it on them, wherever they may go,” Caulkins said.

Thanks to a grant, UT Tyler will receive free Narcan doses for five years. As the regional hub for drug prevention and resources, the East Texas Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (ETCADA), receives doses from UT San Antonio’s medical branch and sends them to UT Tyler. They expect to receive 60 doses a month.

“They’re very supportive of us. They want us to get the Narcan into our students’ hands,” Caulkins said.

Multiple student organizations will be involved to help educate on how to use Narcan: the Texas Pharmacy Association — Academy of Student Pharmacists, American Pharmacists Association — Academy of Student Pharmacists and the National Association of Student Nurses.

In addition, the UT Tyler pre-nursing students will be in charge of the UT Tyler campus distribution sites. The UT Tyler School of Nursing students will help with the Palestine and Longview locations.

“So not only will the Narcan be available on campus for them to pick up, but then there will be ongoing education on campus every semester,” Caulkins said.

The signs to look for in an overdose include: skin turning blue, purple lips, purple fingernails, unresponsive to voice or touch, slow breathing, low blood pressure and pale or clammy skin, according to Caulkins.

People should not be worried about giving someone Narcan; it is not harmful because it only works on the opioid receptors. In addition, in Texas there is a Good Samaritan Law so bystanders will not have any sort of penalty for calling 9-1-1 for someone experiencing an overdose, Caulkins said.

“If someone were to use the Narcan on someone, there would be no liability on them,” Caulkin said. “They’re helping someone in good faith.”

Recently, the United States Food and Drug Administration extended the expiration dates for Narcan. This means the expiration date will have two years added.

“We will have oversight from the professional student groups, nursing and pharmacy,” Caulkins said. “They will be helping me to monitor all the distribution sites, making sure that there’s nothing expired.”

At the UT Tyler campus, Narcan will be available at three locations:

• The Welcome Desk at the University Center
• The UT Tyler School of Pharmacy Student Affairs Office at W.T. Brookshire Hall (WTB 120)
• The front desk at the Robert R. Muntz Library

At the UT Tyler Longview University Center campus, Narcan will be available for pickup in the administrative area, Room 104. The UT Tyler Palestine campus will also have a pickup location but the exact place is to be determined as of this report. For more information on the access initiative visit, https://www.uttyler.edu/title-ix/swoop-in/naloxone-access/.