By Ashley Wiebe

College staff discuss having naloxone on campus

Sep 8, 2017 | 4:27 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — As the opioid crisis continues to grow, more post-secondary institutions are looking for ways to keep students safe.

There’s been debate across the country as to who on campus should carry the life-saving drug, naloxone.

Staff at high schools and universities in Ontario are allowed to administer the antidote, but student leaders have been banned from doing so at the University of Ottawa.

Here in Alberta, universities and colleges are saying the opposite.

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Medicine Hat College doesn’t have any naloxone kits currently on campus, but that’s something they’re working quickly to change.

Irlanda Price, associate vice-president with student development said more and more conversations have been had in terms of what the college would do if an overdose did happen on campus.

Price said there hasn’t been an overdose in the last five years, but said they want to be better prepared in case one did happen.

She said they’ve been actively talking with different groups in the community about what kind of training would be necessary and who would carry and administer the antidote.

“What we have done with other high priority situations is that we’ve included a cross representation of folks, so in anticipation of what this could look like, I would say, yes, it would involve students, it would involve our security staff and also health and safety,” she said. “And then some of the front line folks in student residence and in student engagement.”

Price said the college hopes to have something in place by the end of this semester.

Right now staff are discussing what form of naloxone works better.

The life-saving drug can be injected with a needle or through a nasal spray, which is what members of the Medicine Hat Police Service began using back in February.

Right now college staff are focused on having those conversations and figuring out what works best for everyone in case an emergency does happen.

“As an institution, we’ll do whatever is necessary to make sure that we’re equipped and that we’re trained to respond in the appropriate way,” she said. “It’s a tragedy that we hope never comes to campus, but if it does, we’re planning and hoping that we’re prepared.”