Collegiate Recovery Program educates campus community about Naloxone

Yana McGuire

Staff Writer

The Collegiate Recovery Program’s (CRP), a WCC student club, provides support to students who are suffering from addiction, mental health issues and other similar hardships with peer-to-peer recovery support. 

This semester, the group is offering three free training sessions guided by a certified registered nurse anesthetist. The nurse will teach students how to be prepared to administer Naloxone nasal spray, available for free in the Bailey Library.

What is Naloxone?

Naloxone is the antidote to an opioid overdose. Commonly known opioids are heroin and fentanyl. However, prescription drugs like Vicodin or Oxycodone have been the cause of many overdoses as well.

According to overdoseaction.org, a website provided by Michigan’s Overdose Prevention Engagement Network, when administered either by injection or nasal spray, Naloxone temporarily reverses the life-threatening effects of the overdose. The reversed effect gives a 30 to 120-minute window to seek medical attention. This is a non-addictive medication and will not cause a person to become high.

Data obtained from the Washtenaw Health Department 2023 Opioid Report shows that the number of drug overdose-related deaths in Washtenaw County has seen a steady increase since the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. 

86% of the opioid-related overdoses have involved fentanyl. As of June 2024, there have been 28 Washtenaw County residents who have succumbed to opioid-related deaths this year.

“Our community has an alarming rate of loss and death from opioid overdose. What we do here in CRP is to make sure everyone knows that lives can be saved,” Teresa Herzog, Collegiate Recovery Program coordinator, said. 

“About 70% of the drug supply sold in our community through the black market is tainted with fentanyl. We would be remiss at CRP and as a community college if we were not supporting our health department, hospitals, and treatment agency in the comprehensive strategy to make sure our community is saturated with Naloxone,” she said.

Herzog also stated the CRP has given out around 1,400 Naloxone kits to students and staff over the last few years. 

Along with potentially saving lives, CRP’s non-judgemental and unbiased support system has been a help to many.

Zoe Nash, CRP peer recovery support and outreach specialist and student, states that she traveled to Ann Arbor to get sober because she heard about the many levels of support available.

Upon enrolling in classes at WCC, Nash started attending weekly CRP support meetings. 

“CRP just opened doors for me to get the most out of being in school. And that’s part of my job too because I know about a lot of resources I can give back to the students,” she said. 

CRP’s next training session is on Sept. 25 from 12-1 p.m.

If you or someone you know needs more information about Naloxone Kits, training, or personal support contact CRP at 734-318-0785 or therzog@wccnet.edu

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