Opioids are “downers,” which cause severe drowsiness and shut down the part of the brain that regulates breathing. According to the Canadian government, 1377 Canadians died from opioid overdose between January and March of 2025. Ninety-five percent of these deaths were accidental, and 82 percent were non-pharmaceutical.

Naloxone training is becoming more common in BC. Training is often offered at VIU through VIUSU, Island Health, AIDS Vancouver Island, and VIU’s Harm Reduction Alliance, respectively.

“It doesn’t harm anyone to be prepared, regardless of whether you think you’re going to come across it or not,” VIUSU student representative, Maggie Velisek, says.

Naloxone (also known as Narcan) is a short-acting solution that temporarily blocks opioids from affecting the nervous system. There are no negative side effects of Naloxone, and it can be safely administered to sober individuals as well.

Even with training, it is important to be aware of dangers when giving someone Narcan. It is common for people to wake up swinging at the person that is trying to save them. The reality is, many of those taking opioids are going to be more upset that you have ruined their high than the fact that you have saved their life.

In addition to their aggressive behaviour upon waking up, they may run from you and immediately try to do more drugs. This is incredibly dangerous because Naloxone does not remove opioids from the body, it simply removes them from receptors in the nervous system. Taking more drugs will result in another, more severe overdose.

To protect yourself and the person you are trying to help, always phone 9-1-1 before you administer Naloxone.

Naloxone can be administered in two ways: by needle or nasal spray.

Injection kits are available for free at pharmacies, but the nasal spray varies in price, roughly $45, depending on where you buy it. Nasal kits are free for First Nations with a status card. According to Island Health, both versions are effective, but injections have a lower dose and are recommended for use on long-term users to prevent withdrawal. Nasal sprays are the best way to help someone at a party; it is more likely that they are overdosing by accident and not a long-term user.

Naloxone’s main purpose is to help a person regain their breathing. You can recognize an opioid overdose if a person’s lips are blue or ashen, if they are breathing less than every five seconds, making snoring or gurgling sounds, or are completely unresponsive. Proper training can help you choose your next steps.

Aslynn Meade, a fourth-year psychology student, took Naloxone and harm reduction training through Island Health at VIUSU last spring. “It was extremely beneficial to me, especially as someone who is planning to go into healthcare,” Meade says.

Velisek acknowledges that people put themselves at risk to have fun, and it’s better to be prepared. “Even if you don’t know how to use it, there’s instructions in the kit,” she says.

In collaboration with local businesses, VIUSU has also introduced Party Bags to encourage safe drinking and partying for students.

“The bags come with a little drink cover and drug test strips for common date rape drugs,” VIUSU’s Strategic Priorities & Governance Organizer, Janelle Wilson, says.

Education is power. The Students Union’s collaborations to provide harm reduction training and opportunities to learn more about safe substance use can empower any student to potentially save a life. We can all contribute to a safer community by doing the training and volunteering with local harm reduction initiatives.

The next Naloxone training at VIU’s Nanaimo Campus will be on November 19 from 3:00-4:30 pm, offered by AIDS in partnership with VIUSU. VIU’s Harm Reduction Alliance is also hosting a Harm Reduction Panel on December 2, 2025, in the Malaspina Theatre from 2:00-5:00 pm. Follow VIU HRA on Instagram @viu_hra for regular updates to get involved!