Naloxone & Fentanyl Test Strips
Centralia College faculty, staff, and students can access free Naloxone (NARCAN®) and Fentanyl Test Strips on campus to help prevent opioid overdose.
Free Naloxone & Fentanyl Test Strips Available
Centralia faculty, staff, and students can access free Naloxone/NARCAN® and fentanyl test strips on campus at the following locations:
- TransAlta Commons Welcome Desk (lobby)
- Safety & Security Office, Transitional Services Building Room 112
- Food Pantry, TransAlta Commons Room 137
- CHI Student Housing, 111 S. Ash St.
- Centralia College East, Morton
Persons requesting free Naloxone or fentanyl test strips are not required to provide their name or other information to obtain the medication. A maximum of two doses may be requested per week.
History
In September 2024, CC began supplying Naloxone and fentanyl test strips on campus in compliance with HB 2112.
Naloxone is a medication that can save lives by reversing the effects of an opioid overdose. Some examples of opioids are heroin, fentanyl, methadone, OxyContin®, and Vicodin®. Naloxone can be given to someone as an injection or nasal spray. RCW 69.41.095 permits any person or “entity” (e.g., police department, homeless shelter) to obtain, possess, and administer Naloxone. It also permits Naloxone distribution under a prescriber’s standing order.
If used correctly, fentanyl test strips can detect the presence of fentanyl in many different drugs (cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin, etc.) and drug forms (pills, powder, and injectables). Test strips can be a useful harm reduction tool for people who use drugs.
Recognizing Opioid Overdose
An opioid overdose may lead to symptoms that may resemble other medical emergencies such as alcohol poisoning or overdose of sedatives. So, learning to recognize the symptoms of opioid overdose is important.
Classic Signs of Opioid Overdose:
- Pinpoint (tiny) pupils
- Loss of consciousness
- Problems breathing or not breathing at all
Other Signs of Opioid Overdose:
- Blue or purplish fingernails or lips
- Limp extremities
- Vomiting or gurgling sounds
Treating Opioid Overdose
If you suspect a person is a victim of opioid overdose, you should:
Step 1 - Identify Opioid Overdose and Check for Response
- Ask person if he or she is okay and shout name.
- Shake shoulders and firmly rub the middle of their chest.
- Check for signs of an opioid overdose.
- Lay the person on their back to receive a dose of NARCAN® Nasal Spray.
Step 2 - Give Naloxone/NARCAN® Nasal Spray
- Remove NARCAN® Nasal Spray from the box. Peel back the tab with the circle to open the NARCAN® Nasal Spray.
- Hold the NARCAN® Nasal Spray with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your first and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.
- Gently insert the tip of the nozzle into either nostril. Tilt the person’s head back and provide support under the neck with your hand. Gently insert the tip of the nozzle into one nostril, until your fingers on either side of the nozzle are against the bottom of the person’s nose.
- Press the plunger firmly to give the dose of NARCAN® Nasal Spray.
- Remove the NARCAN® Nasal Spray from the nostril after giving the dose.
Step 3 - Call for Emergency Medical Help, and Support
- Call 911: Get emergency medical help right away.
- Move the person on their side (recovery position) after giving NARCAN® Nasal Spray.
- Watch the person closely.
- If the person does not respond by waking up, to voice or touch, or breathing normally another dose may be given. NARCAN® Nasal Spray may be dosed every 2 to 3 minutes, if available.
- Repeat Step 2 using a new NARCAN® Nasal Spray to give another dose in the other nostril. If additional NARCAN® Nasal Sprays are available, repeat step 2 every 2 to 3 minutes until the person responds or emergency medical help is received.
Naloxone can rapidly reverse the overdose effects and restore normal breathing. However, Naloxone is effective for only 30-60 minutes. So, emergency care is still important to ensure that the victim of an overdose does not revert to their overdose state.
Administering Naloxone to a person who may be suffering from alcohol poisoning or sedative overdose will not harm them — but it will also not help them. Calling 911 to request emergency services is critical.
More Information
Answers to frequently asked questions and additional information can be found here.
Consult these videos to learn how to give NARCAN® during an overdose and how to use fentanyl test strips:
Under Washington law, RCW 4.24.300, the state protects anyone who is helping someone suffering from a medical emergency from civil liabilities.
Additionally, RCW 69.50.315 allows for people assisting someone having an overdose and the overdose victim to gain immunity from certain criminal charges. The goal of this law is to decrease the amount of opioid, alcohol, and other drug-related deaths and make it easier for people to seek help when they need it.
If someone in Washington seeks medical assistance for a drug-related overdose, they cannot receive a charge for drug possession.
If someone in Washington is experiencing an overdose, they cannot receive a drug possession charge.
Anyone in Washington who might experience or witness an opioid overdose can carry and administer Naloxone.
No test is 100 percent accurate and drugs may still contain fentanyl or fentanyl analogs even with a negative result.
Fentanyl test strips might not detect more potent fentanyl-like drugs, like carfentanil.
Test strips cannot tell how much fentanyl there is or how strong it is.
No, Naloxone is administered to someone after an overdose has occurred. Because the individual who overdosed is likely unconscious and/or their movement and breathing are restricted, they would need assistance.
No, Naloxone is safe to use and is not addictive.
Naloxone is a fast-acting drug that can reverse opioid overdose and restore normal breathing within 2-3 minutes. Additional doses of Naloxone may be needed for larger quantities of opioids or more potent opioids, like fentanyl. If the person who has overdosed remains unresponsive, keep giving additional doses (if available) until they’re alert or until emergency assistance arrives.
Naloxone can (but does not always) cause withdrawal symptoms or unpleasant physical reactions in people who are physically dependent on opioids. Withdrawal symptoms may include fever, anxiety, irritability, rapid heart rate, sweating, nausea, vomiting, and tremors.
Naloxone won’t harm someone if they’re overdosing on opioids or other drugs, so it’s always best to use it if you think someone is overdosing.
Yes, anyone can purchase and/or carry Naloxone/NARCAN® to help respond to an overdose. Having it available allows bystanders to help save lives by preventing a fatal overdose.
Naloxone competes with opioids to bind with the same receptors in the brain, reversing the effects of opioid overdose in 2 to 3 minutes. This allows time for emergency medical help to arrive.
A person does not need to be breathing forNaloxone nasal spray to work. Naloxone is sprayed in the nose and the medicine is absorbed there by the nasal mucous membrane. It does not need to be inhaled (breathed in by the lungs) for the medicine to work.
No. Each device contains one dose of medicine. The device is intended to be sprayed once and then discarded. Do not test before use.
Store at room temperature, between 36°F and 77°F (2°C to 25°C).
- Do not freeze.
- Avoid excessive heat above 104°F (40°C).
- Protect from light.
CONTACT CAMPUS SAFETY/SECURITY
360-623-8888 Reporting Line
8888@centralia.edu