On Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, a Wesleyan Student Assembly (WSA) Referendum titled “Increasing the Accessibility of Narcan” passed with 568 affirmative votes to 9 negative votes, according to an email sent to the student body on the same day. The referendum focused on expanding direct Narcan access to residence halls and other high-traffic buildings on campus.

Narcan is the brand name for generic naloxone. Both refer to the same nasally-administered opioid overdose reversal spray. Currently, the campus Narcan supply is primarily administered by Public Safety (PSafe). 

“The Public Safety Director will store the Narcan® per medication storage requirements in the Public Safety Office at 208 High Street, Middletown, CT and will distribute to on-duty Public safety staff trained in the administration Narcan®,” the University’s Narcan® Policy reads.

The University’s policy was formulated in November 2019 in response to Connecticut House Bill 7159, also known as Public Act 19–191, An Act Addressing Opioid Use, which was intended to improve the safety and treatment of people who use opioids. The law was signed into effect by Governor Ned Lamont in July 2019.

In the process of compiling their recommendations to the University, Wesleyan Harm Reduction Initiative (WesHRI) consulted with the Middletown Harm Reduction Initiative, founded by Livia Cox ’22 and Nick Wells ’20 in response to high overdose rates in Middletown. Representatives from the group also met with Director of the Middletown Department of Health Kevin Elak and Reverend Robyn Anderson, the co-chairs of the Middletown Opioid Task Force.

Before the referendum was voted on by the student body, the WSA passed a resolution on Sunday, Feb. 16, in response to a WesHRI petition receiving 588 signatures from students and alumni. WSA Senator Andrew Hsu ’27 sponsored the resolution with Nia Chetkovich ’25. 

“[The WSA] have given us legitimate support through the passing of a resolution, and then the referendum,” Chetkovich wrote in a message to The Argus. “A lot of students would have never heard about this initiative if it were not for the WSA.”

Although PSafe already stores Narcan in case of emergencies, WesHRI contends that greater Narcan access will benefit the student body and potentially save lives. Currently, a student experiencing an overdose would need to wait until PSafe arrived for Narcan to be administered, because none would be on site.

“In an opioid overdose, every second counts,” Chetkovich wrote. “If said overdose happens in a dorm, a student can call PSAFE and alert them of the crisis while simultaneously running to the Narcan box location, grabbing the Narcan, and effectively reversing an overdose before PSafe even gets there. It is an added layer of expediting the process of saving a life.”

According to Connecticut law, people who administer Narcan have broad protection from prosecution. 

“Under Public Act No. 14-61, individuals—including students—who administer naloxone to someone experiencing an opioid-related overdose are immune from civil liability and criminal prosecution, provided they act with reasonable care,” a WesHRI policy review reads. 

The next step for the initiative is a meeting with members of the WSA’s Student Life Committee, WesHRI, and Vice President for Student Affairs Michael Whaley, Dean of Students Rick Culliton, Associate Dean of Students Fran Koerting, Director of Health Education September Dibble and Alcohol and Other Drug Specialist Shannon Perry on Friday, Feb. 28, 2025. 

“I think the fact that we are having this meeting already indicates that the administration is at least open to having a conversation about the proposal,” Hsu wrote in a message to The Argus. “I think things look positive. I honestly don’t know how much of or in what capacity the proposal in its current form would be accepted, but I think that there seems to be enough openness to the concept in general that some policy or programming changes can be made to address the issue.”

WesHRI is hopeful that the meeting will have a positive outcome for their Narcan accessibility plan. 

“I am optimistic that they will realize this is an important initiative,” Chetkovich wrote. “This initiative is not unique. It is being done across the country. The questions they have are not unique, and the research I and WesHRI have done has put us in a position to address many of their potential concerns.”

WesWell provides Narcan to students at no charge after a required Narcan training and regularly organizes events for students to complete the course. On March 5, they will be hosting Build Your Own Harm Reduction Kit in Usdan University Center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m with Narcan, fentanyl test strips, safer sex supplies, and more.

Anabel Goode can be reached at agoode@wesleyan.edu.