Take-home naloxone kits now available at Vancouver Island University

Vancouver Island University in Nanaimo is now dispensing take-home naloxonekits through its campus medical clinic in an effort to help fight a recent spike in street-drugoverdoses.

Nanaimo, like many B.C. communities, is in the midst of anoverdose epidemic.Four people have died of since late December, and in the past week alone paramedics have responded to 14 calls for suspected overdoses.

VIUisn't saying whether any of the recent overdoses have affected students, butCarrieChassels, executive director of student affairs, says the university is trying to be proactive.

"We know that we have students who are of an age where they may be susceptible to experimenting with drugs, trying things for the first time," she told CBC News.

Naloxonealso known by it's brandnameNarcan is a drug that can blockand reverses the effects of opiods like heroine or fentanyl.VIU is one of the few universities to offer naloxonekits.

Dr. PaulHasselbackwith Island Health says he's pleased by the move because overdoseaffects even thosewho onlydabble in drugs.

"We have concerns about those who are at the non-habituated point, who are perhaps experimenting, using occasionally," said Hasselback.

Hasselback willbe joined by representatives fromthe RCMPand VIU at a campuscommunity forum tonight, which will include a presentation on the take-home naloxone kits.

Earlier this month VIU forwarded an alert from Island Health to its students,warning of the increase in overdoses.