In response to B.C.’s toxic drug crisis, TRU’s Wellness Centre is ramping up efforts by offering naloxone training and creating awareness for students and staff to reduce overdose deaths on campus.
As of October 2024, Kamloops had reported 83 unregulated drug deaths during the first ten months of the year, making up five per cent of British Columbia’s total, according to statistics released by the BC Coroners Service. With the Province recording over 1,900 fatalities from toxic drug last year, the opioid crisis is hitting close to home for students at Thompson Rivers University.
“Anyone is at risk of an overdose if they’re using substances, because of our toxic drug supply,” said Chelsea Corsi, senior co-ordinator at the TRU Wellness Centre. “Students need to have that knowledge and awareness around the toxic drug supply in B.C. if they are going to be using substances.”
Corsi says that it’s not just students who use drugs recreationally who are at risk of an overdose.
“We know that people can even overdose [on] prescription medication if they’re using opioids. So, I think there are various ways to be impacted by this, and I think it’s how we [at the Wellness Centre] can support students to gain knowledge, literacy, and understanding,” Corsi said, further stating that she feels it’s important that people understand how the opioid crisis affects a variety of students at TRU.
In response to B.C’.s public health emergency declared in 2016, TRU adopted the Take Home Naloxone program to train its community. Corsi says she facilitated the application process for the program at TRU in 2017, partnering with Kirsten McLaughlin through the BC Centre for Disease Control.
The naloxone training session at the Wellness Centre takes fifteen minutes and covers safety tips, signs of an opioid overdose, and the SAVE ME steps needed before administering naloxone. After completing the training, students receive a naloxone kit. Corsi says individuals can also complete virtual training through the Toward the Heart website and receive a take-home kit at the Wellness Centre.
The Wellness Centre ambassadors have also received training to administer naloxone to individuals experiencing an overdose, aiming to increase access to naloxone and reduce the shame and stigma around substances and substance use. Corsi explained that a peer-to-peer learning system is an effective approach.
Monty Armstrong, a Wellness Centre ambassador, described the naloxone training as “accessible.”
“This year, we also did training with the nursing department and got hands-on experience in a simulation, where the nurses pretended to overdose, and then we had to respond,” Armstrong said.
“We’ve trained thousands of people on campus, including students, staff, and faculty, over the past seven years,” Corsi said. Last year alone, she estimates that more than 500 students have been trained on how to administer naloxone. “Students want to learn. They want a kit. They want to have the information that can save a life.”
Corsi also speaks with pride about the program as she believes TRU is one of the first institutions in Canada to train leaders to dispense naloxone because she says larger institutions received pushback.
“I think it should be mandatory for everyone to have naloxone training,” said Armstrong, who urges other students in TRU to participate in the program. “I think it’s a valuable experience. There is an opioid overdose crisis in B.C., and there are folks on campus who use substances, and it’s a valuable resource to have. You can save a life with naloxone, and I would recommend it to all students.”
Corsi said she hopes that most students who have been trained to administer naloxone would be able to put it to use in emergencies. She explained that the training aims to lower emergency response barriers, as those without training often hesitate. Her goal is to boost confidence through initial and refresher training, ensuring students are prepared and equipped with a kit.
Corsi outlined ongoing Wellness Centre initiatives related to substance use.
The Wellness Centre continues its mission to combat the opioid crisis on campus. Students seeking resources can walk into the Wellness Centre during its operating hours to access support and participate in the naloxone training program to receive a free take-home naloxone kit.