Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the September 13 article “Naloxone in common rooms is common sense.” I wish to relay my support for the idea of placing naloxone in student accessible spaces like common rooms. I have been an EMT for three years, and have first hand experience with the necessity and efficacy of naloxone. Narcan is safe, effective, and accessible to those without first aid training. Narcan has no absolute contraindications in the case of an emergency and no side effects if administered improperly or to someone who is not experiencing an overdose. Narcan is generally administered by a bystander, not the person experiencing the overdose, so risk of harm is fairly low. Narcan does not encourage drug use and does not use needles or injections, so there is no risk of needles being improperly stored or discarded. There are no increased risks posed to the community by providing Narcan in accessible spaces.
As mentioned in the article, Narcan is low-cost and long-lasting. Many groups, even local to Crawford County, provide Narcan for free if requested. Recovery is Community NWPA is “a grant consortium implementing projects through the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program (RCORP) to increase access to evidence-based treatment, prevention, and recovery supports…” and provides free Narcan and test strips to local individuals and organizations. I have personally gotten forty free doses of Narcan from this organization and they are eager to provide more. This would mean that there is zero cost to the college, and the Narcan could be provided alongside local resources for substance use support as well as other harm reduction aids like drug test strips.
One of the major indications for Narcan is depressed breathing in someone who has used opioids. Being able to administer Narcan before medical help arrives means that the person is less likely to go without air or remain in a depressed state of breathing. In some cases, multiple doses of Narcan are required, and being able to administer the first dose means that medical help will be more quickly effective once EMTs arrive.
I personally carry a dose of Narcan with me wherever I go, should somebody need it. Providing naloxone provides students with a way to care for themselves and each other and a way to open up conversations that will destigmatize drug use, harm reduction and addiction. As the saying goes, the only thing Narcan enables is breathing.

Thank you for your consideration,
Rion McCluskey ‘26