By T’Neil Gooden
The public has heard about it but it remains unseen: opioid use–especially the dangers of fentanyl–may be in the public’s consciousness, but it’s a crisis that remains disconnected from them. However, it has a vast impact on students, colleges, and society-at-large. The Vanguard had the opportunity to speak with doctors, health advisors, and non-profit organization leaders on ways to combat this crisis through education and access to life-saving tools.
Opioids may seem like they are a new invention, but in the medical community, they have been used to treat other illnesses as a painkiller. It has only been in recent years that users have turned to the drugs improperly.
“Opioid is a drug, it is a medicinal drug used extensively in medicine for a long period of time. It has been in practice for over centuries and has been used mainly as a painkiller,” Dr. Ram Raju, former president and CEO of NYC Health, told The Vanguard. “But in the last decade, opioids have become a major source of addiction because of the improper use, and overuse of the medication.”
Knowing the use of the drug is what prompted the consumption of opioids, and students specifically have turned to the drug to alleviate any stress they are going through.
“The appeal is that there are multiple reasons, one is the social conditions, [students] are under an enormous amount of stress because of various events,” Raju told The Vanguard. “[Students] are also looking for some kind of quick relief from their social stress, and some are due to the peer pressure from other students.”
Students can be exposed to the drug in many settings. Athletes get the drug through injury treatment, and other students through pain management of other illnesses. What health educators and college advisors want to do is make students aware of the dangers of using these drugs earlier rather than after they start using them. This includes a collaborative effort to ensure that all sectors of a student population can be reached.
“Just trying to make it a collaborative effort to address safety on the campus is a great way to try to move [students exposure] forward,” Dr. Ebony Copeland, director of student health for Howard University in D.C., told The Vanguard. “I’m shocked at how many students take fentanyl test strips once we tell them what it is […] I definitely think that partnering with the student body and student organizations is another great way to try and tackle this issue on college campuses.”
According to NPR, colleges are now working on making naloxone (Narcan), a medicine that rapidly reverses an opioid overdose, an available product on college campuses. To health advisors, their advice to colleges is to look for more funding for these initiatives.
“One way to get naloxone into schools is by looking for community grant funds,” Dr. Copeland told The Vanguard. “You can also partner with your health department. Often health departments, especially if it’s in an area that has opioid use or significant opioid use, is available through that means as well.”
Brooklyn College held a drug overdose prevention workshop on March 25 in which Narcan nasal sprays and pamphlets about how to use the reversal drug were given to students, as previously reported by The Vanguard. Other educators across college campuses are also looking to provide access to the reversal drug readily.
“When we table, we have some naloxone, we have fentanyl test strips. So we have all those things so that it’s always an opportunity to educate, and a lot of people have never heard of it,” Dr. Copeland told The Vanguard.
An organization that is outside of the classroom and helping those who have suffered from an opioid overdose is Mothers Against Prescription Drug Abuse (MAPDA). Families who have had their children, family members, or friends impacted by the use of these drugs can use their website as a source of education and knowledge. The organization hopes to make us aware that this silent crisis impacts every community around the country.
“People by and large don’t recognize [drug use] as a problem that is going to affect them. And, the goal even for [MAPDA] to this day is to get people to understand this can happen to you. It can happen to anybody,” Mary Bono, a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives for California and co-founder of MAPDA, told The Vanguard. “If you think the effects of this crisis can’t affect your community, then you’re missing out on the reality and severity of the problem.”
Students, families, and individuals who have been impacted by the opioid crisis are also impacted mentally, with many unable to come forward and express what they are going through
“It really has to do with removing that stigma and making it more comfortable to discuss [substance abuse],” Ceceilia Frazier, program and resources manager at MAPDA, told The Vanguard. “The silence does way more harm than good a lot of the time and, things can happen that maybe didn’t have to, if there was a talk from someone who cared and informed them of the risks [of substance use].”
The crisis’s effects can be felt society-wide across various demographics, but for students, health advisors hope that they can help one another to combat the hold this drug can have on someone’s life.
“It affects everybody, even the rich and the poor, Black and white, female and male, or whatever gender you are. It affects everyone,” Dr. Raju told The Vanguard. “Especially for people like students, we need to create an environment if you see a friend of yours getting into [drug abuse], the best thing is to stop them before they can even get into that.”
Organizers and health experts hope that getting this information can bring attention to the impact of the opioid crisis. Students can bring the same attention to the crisis by reaching out to those who have the power to make the change.
“Reach out to a lawmaker, in this day and age there is email, or show up somewhere in person and reach out and have a friendly conversation, but do not be afraid to do that,” Bono told The Vanguard “And I’ll tell you another thing that’s very effective, is to pick up the phone and call.”
Health officials advocate that stopping the stigmatization is crucial for help to reach people suffering from the crisis and that everyone can do their part by being there for one another.
“Give [students] a support system. It could be friends, could be teachers, it could be your coach, it could be anybody,” Dr. Raju told The Vanguard. “Just open up the doors so that these people can really seek help as human beings.”
Students who are interested in learning more about the opioid crisis can visit the MAPDA website or visit NYC Health to learn more about Narcan.