Some schools have taken steps to improve or add counseling, prevention and treatment programs.
A survey of 1,200 college-aged adults showed college students are just as likely as other demographics to abuse narcotics. In 2015, roughly 33,000 people in the U.S. died from opioid overdoses, according to CDC data reported by The Wall Street Journal.
“Now, you couldn’t possibly talk about drugs and alcohol without talking about opioids,” said John Downey, dean of students at Queens University of Charlotte (N.C.), where two of 2,300 enrolled students died from overdoses in the past five years, according to the report.
Pharmaceutical company Adapt Pharma announced in April it would offer 40,000 free doses of Narcan, its branded version of naloxone, to colleges around the U.S. About 60 schools have reached out to the company so far, officials said.
More articles on opioids:
Buprenorphine reduces hospital stays for infants born with opioid withdrawal by nearly 50%
Rick Scott declares Florida opioid epidemic a public health emergency
Atlantic Health System to host panel on opioid epidemic
