The Barnes Center at The Arch Wellness Leadership Institute is hosting two Narcan Training sessions this fall! The sessions will take place on Friday, Oct. 27, from 11 a.m.-noon, and Monday, Nov. 27, from 5-6 p.m. Both sessions will be held in Room 309 in the Barnes Center.
Read on to learn more about the trainings and how to register!
What Is Narcan?
Narcan is a medication that reverses an opioid overdose; it is a brand name for the medication naloxone. Opioids are pain-reducing drugs that bind to receptor cells in our brains. Narcan works by attaching to these same receptors and blocking the effects of the opioid.
Why Is It Important to Be Trained?
The opioid epidemic and the prevalence of fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid, in the drug supply have made drug overdoses one of the leading causes of death for young Americans. Since college students may be more likely to consume illicit substances than other age groups, it is important to have the tools and skills to be able to protect others should they experience an opioid overdose.
Think of Narcan Training like CPR training—it is training to help you be an informed prosocial bystander who can better protect the health and safety of those around you. A prosocial bystander is someone who is present in a situation and actively intervenes to positively impact the outcome of that situation.
Who Should Be Narcan Trained?
Anyone and everyone! Even if you don’t know anyone who consumes substances, even if you don’t go to parties often, and even if you don’t think you’ll ever be in a situation where you need to administer Narcan, you may still find yourself as a bystander in a situation needing urgent intervention. It’s always better to have the tools and skills just in case. But if you or your friends or family consume substances, it is even more important to be prepared with this life-saving medication.
Not only will Narcan Training teach you how to administer Narcan, but the training will also give helpful information about New York State and Syracuse University policies, as well as resources on campus and in the greater Syracuse area. This is information everyone needs!
Why Does Syracuse University Offer Narcan Training?
The Barnes Center and Syracuse University believe in the importance of harm reduction strategies when it comes to the use of alcohol and other drugs. The priority is to provide students with tips on how to stay safer when consuming substances.
Participating in Narcan Training and administering Narcan in the case of an opioid overdose is part of what it means to be a prosocial bystander. The Barnes Center values the role of prosocial bystanders in every area of wellness—Narcan Training in the realm of alcohol and other drugs is just one of these areas.
How Do You Register for Training?
Register for Narcan training in the Wellness Portal, which can be accessed online or through the Wellness Portal mobile app. Registration for Narcan Training can be found under the Wellness Leadership Institute tab. But don’t wait—seats for the two upcoming trainings are limited!
In case you need even more reason to attend one of Syracuse University’s Narcan Training sessions, the training is free, and you will receive a Narcan kit!
We hope to see you there! For questions, please contact the Barnes Center’s Health Promotion team at healthpromotion@syr.edu or call 315.443.8000.
Written By Olivia Fried ’26, Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications