Hamline will have Narcan available on campus coming the next few months.

HUSC passed a resolution that would use $500 to be spent on purchasing the first series of Narcan for the Hamline campus. This money will come from the Capital Improvement Fund, funds that are used for improving campus life. After this round, Narcan will be purchased by Public Safety within their annual budget.

Narcan, the brand name for Naloxone, is a drug that is used in emergency situations to treat a narcotics overdose. The form of Narcan that HUSC is purchasing comes as a nasal spray.

This resolution, which was passed during a general assembly meeting on April 11, was raised by senior Evelyn Harrison, one of HUSC’s senior reps.

“I was thinking we as a campus don’t have Narcan. I know that other campuses have had it in the past,” Harrison said. “I would feel so guilty if I was like thinking about this idea and that I didn’t do it and someone kind of paid for that consequence.”

The Narcan will be carried in the six med bags Public Safety carries and has around campus. The shelf life for this Narcan is two years. As it is used or expires, it will be replaced by Hamline Public Safety, like all materials in the med bags.

During Illiana Cantu Delgado’s, the new Director of Public Safety, first year and a half, she says they have not faced or heard of any overdoses on campus. She joined HPS in January of 2022.

“Not in my year and a half, which is great. I believe that no news is always good news,” Cantu Delgado said.

Harrison knew this was important as drug use continues to be a problem the nation faces.

“Unfortunately, drug overdose and drug use emergencies happen very frequently,” she said. “In fact, it’s actually drug overdose related ER visits that are most common in individuals 15 to 34 years old. So that’s like right in the peak like college demographic.”

Beginning this summer, HPS will be onboarding Narcan training for their officers in partnership with Health Services. HPS found programing that can train and assist them that will begin in a few months. Refresher course will be completed online every six months.

In the future, other offices may also be trained, such as Residential Life. That is something Cantu Delgado said they are looking into for upcoming years.

“Distributing more information in general would be helpful,” Gabriel Fleischhacker said. “Since I know that you can’t give someone Narcan and then that’s it and the person is okay, that there are other steps after that.”

No one will be charged for needing Narcan administered to them. Any kind of emergency services that Public Safety administers is already rolled into their cost center.

“What’s the cost of your life? Right. It’s priceless,” Cantu Delgado said. “Everybody’s here for a purpose and we have to make sure that you’re healthy, you’re safe and you’re getting what needing because everybody has a place here.”

Cantu Delgado wants to remind the Hamline community that if they ever need help navigating or finding financial assistance.

“All the credit really goes to the great work of HUSC. What a great idea. I’m so impressed with their forethought,” she said.