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ASUWT aims to prioritize the safety and well-being of our students. While not all UW Tacoma students use drugs, for those who do, we want you to be safe. Partnering with PAWS on campus, we are proud to announce the creation of an access point for NARCAN on campus. This webpage is the living document detailing the progress in meeting this goal.

 

Status: Success

Point of Contact(s): Holly Wetzel (2022-2023 Director of Outreach)

The opioid crisis has affected communities nationwide, with college campuses not being exempt from its impact. Recognizing the need to address this growing concern, ASUWT took a proactive approach to safeguard the well-being of students by advocating for the availability of NARCAN, a life-saving medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, on the UW Tacoma campus.

 

November 2022 Update:

Director Wetzel began working alongside Psychological & Wellness Services (PAWS) to work on this initiative. Despite facing initial resistance from administration, significant research was conducted to understand the landscape of implementing NARCAN distribution programs on other campuses within the state and UW system. This groundwork set the stage for further research and student input to reinforce the necessity of having NARCAN accessible to students on campus.

 

January - March 2023 Update:

Director Wetzel delved deeper into the logistics of establishing a NARCAN distribution program at UW Tacoma. This included discussions with various campus stakeholders and the development of strategic and outreach plans to gather student input in the coming months. 

 

April - May 2023 Update:

In collaboration with UW Tacoma Healthcare Leadership students, Director Wetzel conducted an extensive survey and focus group sessions to gauge the student body's opinion on the need for NARCAN on campus. The results were clear: 79% of students felt that free, on-campus access to NARCAN/Naloxone was necessary, and 76% said that such access would make them feel safer on campus. 

 

June - September 2023 Update:

With the student's voice in hand, Director Wetzel (now ASUWT President Wetzel) created a comprehensive program proposal and submitted it to PAWS. The proposal outlined the steps for acquiring, distributing, and training students on how to use NARCAN. In September 2023, PAWS officially launched the program modeled after this program proposal.