Naloxone Training and Distribution Program

Effective January 1, 2023, Senate Bill No. 367 requires UCSF SMHW to provide opioid overdose education and distribute Naloxone.

In distributing Naloxone, our goal is to facilitate access to naloxone, a life-saving medication used to reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications, and to reduce harm to the UCSF community.

Using a standing order from the California Department of Public Health, SMHW will:

  • Deliver opioid overdose and naloxone use education online with additional instructions on how to obtain naloxone through our program
  • Provide naloxone at UCSF Student Mental Health and Wellbeing to help reduce the occurrence of opioid related overdoses in the community
  • Use an anonymous pathway for optional reporting of feedback and whether the use of naloxone distributed through our program successfully reversed an opioid overdose 
  • Communicate the existence of the program with its constituents on a regular basis
     

Prevent an Opioid Overdose

Use naloxone to reverse a possible opioid overdose.

Where Can I Get Free Naloxone?

  1. View a short video about opioid overdose and how to administer naloxone and then complete a short quiz.
  2. Take a picture or screen shot of the “Successful Quiz Completion” screen.
  3. Visit SMHW and tell the front desk staff member that you would like a naloxone kit. No appointment is needed.
  4. Our staff will confirm that you have completed the educational video and ask you to show your screenshot showing that you successfully completed the quiz.

What is Naloxone?

Naloxone is a medication that works almost immediately to reverse opiate overdose. It has few known adverse effects, no potential for abuse, and can be rapidly administered through intramuscular injection or nasal spray. While most professional first responders and emergency departments, including UCPD, are equipped with naloxone, they may not arrive in time to revive overdose victims. Educated and equipped bystanders can effectively take steps to reverse an opioid overdose.

Why Should You Carry Naloxone?

Given the success of naloxone bystander programs, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have recommended expanding the availability of naloxone to laypeople.

The amount of time it takes for first responders to arrive on the scene can mean a person's life in the case of an opioid overdose. Carrying naloxone allows civilians to become responsible bystanders and potentially save a life in the event of encountering an opioid overdose.

How Does Naloxone Work?

When administered during an overdose, naloxone blocks the effect of opioids on the brain and restores breathing within two to eight minutes to prevent death.

When Do You Administer Naloxone? 

Signs of possible opioid overdose:

  • The person can’t be woken up AND
    • Breathing is slow or has stopped OR
    • Is making snoring or gurgling sounds
  • Fingernails and lips turn blue or purple
  • Pupils are tiny or eyes are rolled back
  • Body is limp

What to do:

  1. Shout out to the person (their name, if known) and shake their shoulders
  2. If unresponsive, give naloxone - one spray into the nostril
  3. Call 911 if unresponsive
  4. Perform rescue breathing and/or chest compressions
  5. If no improvement after 2-3 minutes, repeat steps 3 & 4
  6. Stay with the person until the arrival of medical assistance

After Administering Naloxone: 

Naloxone often works immediately.  But depending on the individual's size and use history, they may need more than 1 or 2 applications. If the person does not recover quickly you may need to perform other life-saving strategies such as Hands-Only CPR and rescue breathing.  Naloxone’s effect lasts for about 30 to 90 minutes in the body. If the naloxone wears off before the effects of the opioids wear off, the person might go into an overdose again. For this reason, it is always very important to call emergency medical assistance! 

After you administer naloxone, do not leave the individual unattended until you can transfer their care to a medical professional. 

Still Have Questions or Feedback?

Please call our clinic at 415-476-1281 or email us at [email protected].

You may also wish to watch the California Department of Public Health’s training video on administering naloxone.

Can I get in trouble if I call 911 on someone’s behalf if I’m also using substances?

California has a 911 Good Samaritan Law (CA Civil Code Section 1714.22) protects you from arrest, charge, and prosecution when you call 911 at the scene of a suspected drug overdose. Nobody at the scene should be charged for personal amounts of drugs or paraphernalia. This law does not protect you if:

  • You are on parole/probation; it is likely still a violation
  • You have more drugs than “possession for personal use”; it is still illegal to have any amount that would suggest trafficking or sales
  • You “obstruct medical or law enforcement personnel”; it is still important to not intervene with the activities of police or emergency personnel

Fentanyl Test Strips

Test your drugs for fentanyl with fentanyl test strips.

Illicitly manufactured fentanyl can contaminate drugs such as heroin, methamphetamine, or cocaine, and is often intentionally used as a primary component of counterfeit pills sold as opioids or benzodiazepines. There is always the risk of a fentanyl overdose when using street drugs. Fentanyl test strips will help you know if your drug sample contains fentanyl. Use fentanyl test strips with injectable drugs, pills, or powders. [Source: People Who Use Drugs (ca.gov)]

Why is fentanyl dangerous?

Fentanyl is extremely potent relative to other opioids. It can more rapidly cause breathing to slow or stop. Illicit fentanyl can be added to other drugs to make them cheaper, more powerful, and more addictive. People who use drugs may be unaware if their drugs contain fentanyl. A very small amounts of fentanyl can be deadly and the amount of fentanyl in substances varies dramatically. This can lead to a life-threatening or fatal overdose event. (Source: CA DPH)

Please note that testing for fentanyl does not guarantee safety of a substance. For example, fentanyl test strips do not recognize xylazine, an animal tranquilizer which is reaching the US illicit drug supply and is sometimes referred to as “tranq” or “tranq dope.”​ Xylazine has been linked to an increasing number of overdose deaths nationwide. (Source: CA DPH) 

Where Can I Get Fentanyl Test Strips?

Visit SMHW and tell the front desk staff member that you would like some fentanyl test strips. No appointment is needed. Follow the instructions at the back of the packet or watch this video on how to use fentanyl test strips to determine if fentanyl is present in a drug:

Resources for people who use drugs

Harm reduction is an approach for people who use drugs that aims to reduce harm rather than eliminate risk. Harm reduction means utilizing resources for safer and managed drug use to prevent death, injury, disease, and overdose.  

Below is a list of harm reduction tips and resources for people who use drugs. This information is not meant to be medical or legal advice. For medical advice you should reach out to a healthcare professional and for legal advice you should reach out to an attorney. You can find more detail about these tips at CA DPH.

  • Always carry nal​oxone
  • Test your drugs for fentanyl with fentanyl test strips
  • Use sterile syringes if injecting drugs
    • For more information on accessing sterile syringes and other supplies, SF Syringe Access Collaborative can help. Just keep in mind that locations and times can change – call ahead to confirm updates.
  •    Use excessive caution if mixing drugs
  • Do not use drugs alone

English: 800-484-3731

Spanish: 800-928-5330

This hotline is a free service that a person can call when using drugs alone. An operator stays on the line and will notify emergency services if the person stops responding after using drugs.

   Know how to recognize and respond to an overdose (see above)

   Find treatment and support

   Store medications or drugs in a lock box and out of reach

Resources Online/Off Campus