Alyson Grider is a graduate student at IU, studying social work. Although she's always known that social work was her calling, she's battled addiction since she was in high school which made pursuing her dreams a challenge.
"I know that especially on a big college campus where it's like a party atmosphere, people aren't wanting to get completely sober," Grider says. "You know, if they realize they have a problem or are experimenting with something, that's not the first thing on their mind."
Grider says she's experimented with and abused all different kinds of substances, a path that led to her to move back in with her parents while not being able to work.
Indiana University's Bloomington health center offers resources to help students like Grider who've struggled with addiction. Now, the center has a new tool in its arsenal. The on-campus facility is offering the opioid overdose intervention drug naloxone to students. It's free and confidential. Through a grant from non-profit organization Overdose Lifeline, the school received 20 naloxone kits. Inside the kit are two nasal doses, and ‘how to use' instructions.
Medical Director Dr. Diana Ebling showed me the kits from inside the pharmacy.
"So, give a dose, spray it in one nostril. Give a dose. If there's not been a response in five minutes, we typically recommend trying another dose," Ebling says.
Students who come in to get a kit don't need to go through training while at the pharmacy.
"They can simply just pick it up, take it, and read it," Ebling says. "They can always call if they have any questions."
IU is the first university in the state to take part in the two-part pilot program. The second part involves offering hour-long educational workshops to groups or classes, where people are taught how to administer naloxone and other life-saving techniques, including intervention. Legislation passed this year in Indiana makes naloxone available at pharmacies across the state without a prescription. Ebling says that was a light bulb moment for some people, who realized that opioid abuse was a problem in Indiana.
"Nationally it's a problem, opiate addiction is a problem, heroin use is a problem and [we] don't want to be naive to think that it's not happening on campus," She says.
However, just because the kits are available for free, doesn't mean it's a barrier-free program. Since the health center began offering naloxone in September, it's handed out only one kit. There's still the stigma associated with drug use which is problem for those seeking resources or help.
"I feel pretty strongly that we need to advocate for more awareness and reduce stigma because it's the secrets and the shame that keep people isolated within addiction and they don't seek help," says OASIS Director Jackie Daniels.
Whitney Meeks was a student at IU in 2006 when she became addicted to prescription drugs. She's now in treatment after being an active addict for six years. She relates to the stigma and says she didn't feel like she had any resources when she was in school. She calls the grant program progressive, and says she wants to see it pushed even further.
"I would say to go even as far as having it in dorms, RAs be educated on the problem and know how to administer the Narcan," Meeks says. "I mean it would just be a shame not to do that."
Grider says she thinks the conversation surrounding drug addiction on campus has shifted over time. She entered a 12 step recovery program that helped her get back on her feet and back in school, but she says addiction is a lifelong struggle. She says offering free naloxone is as necessary as having AEDs, which prevent cardiac arrest, on campus.
"The way we talk about it has changed, where before it was those people have something wrong with them or they just make bad choices, to now it's a disease and they need help," Grider says.
Right now, the kits are free. Daniels says the kits will be replenished once they're all gone. However, officials are unsure how the naloxone kits will be funded in the future and whether or not they'll continue offering them at no cost.
