UW-Stevens Point will have a drug available on campus to reverse the impact of opioids.
They are called Nalox-Zone boxes, and contain Naloxone, often referred to as Narcan, and masks for rescue breathing.
They are provided by Wisconsin Voice for Recovery, a recovery advocacy organization.
UWSP's police chief said he is thankful they do not have an opioid problem on campus, and that they have not needed to use Narcan on campus yet.
"Like most of our safety equipment, you know, our defibrillators, and fire extinguishers, and all that kind of stuff, we hope we never have to use it, of course. But it is here in case we do need it," said Tony Babl, police chief at UWSP. "I hope we don't start seeing a problem on our campuses, but we just want to be definitely prepared if that does happen."
Each box has a sensor so when the box is accessed, Wisconsin Voices for Recovery is notified. They reach out to the partner site to know which box has been accessed and can then be replenished.
The entire program is free.
Wisconsin Voices for Recovery said they are funded through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, and that they hope to continue to keep the program free as a safety tool.
