In addition to our efforts to prevent and reduce drug use at UW–Madison, we provide harm reduction resources and education to keep our campus community safer. 

The risk of overdose 

In recent years, overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids, like fentanyl combined with other substances, have increased significantly, including among college students. 

The drug supply is changing, and many different substances have contributed to overdose deaths. Some of these drugs slow breathing and can contribute to an overdose, but the effects cannot always be reversed with naloxone.   

Tips to reduce your risk

Many factors, including the substance and the individual taking the substance, influence the risk of overdose. Fentanyl is much more potent than other opioids and difficult to detect. Many overdoses occur in people who do not realize that they have taken fentanyl. 

1. Don’t take a pill that was not prescribed to you. 
2. Avoid mixing drugs, including alcohol. 
3. Never use illicit drugs alone. Have someone nearby, or call Never Use Alone or SafeSpot. 
4. Assume all illicit drugs may contain fentanyl or other dangerous substances. 
5. Use fentanyl test strips to detect the presence of fentanyl in other drugs. Not all substances that can lead to overdose are detectable by fentanyl test strips. 
6. Use a smaller amount first to understand its effects on you. 
7. Have a plan for getting emergency help. 

Tips to protect others

If you need to get help for a friend or fellow student, amnesty is available. Carry naloxone and be trained in how to use it. 

Signs of an opioid overdose

A person experiencing an opioid overdose may: 

• Be unresponsive or unable to wake up, 
• Have pinpoint pupils, 
• Slow breathing, or completely stopped breathing, 
• Make gurgling, choking or deep snoring sounds, 
• Have blue or grayish fingernails or lips (depending on skin tone), 
• Have cold and clammy skin, 
• Have a limp body, and/or 
• Have a slow heartbeat.  

If you think someone is overdosing

• Try to wake them up. 
• Call 911. 
• Give naloxone as directed on the package. 
• Check for breathing and give rescue breaths, if needed. 
• If normal breathing does not return after 2 minutes, give naloxone again. 
• Continue to monitor breathing and stay with the person until help arrives. 
• If they are breathing but unconscious, place them on their side in the recovery position. 

Harm reduction resources at UW–Madison 

• Fentanyl test strips are used to inform people about the risk of accidental overdose by detecting the presence of fentanyl in a drug. Not all substances are detectable by fentanyl test strips, and the strips are not always accurate. Just because the sample doesn’t show fentanyl doesn’t mean there is no risk of overdose. Free fentanyl test strips are available on campus. Find them in the Health Vending Machine in the Student Activity Center on the 3rd Floor of 333 East Campus Mall.
• Naloxone nasal spray is a lifesaving medication that can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone nasal spray is available in wall-mounted boxes at 36 campus locations. Narcan is a common form of naloxone nasal spray. 

Recovery resources at UW–Madison

• Badger Recovery is a collegiate recovery community that offers support for students recovering from substance use, eating concerns, and addictive behaviors. We embrace all definitions of recovery, whether that is abstinence or harm reduction, and offer a welcoming and judgment-free space to support students on their personal recovery journey. We offer weekly recovery meetings, fun social events, and 1:1 recovery coaching with staff who get it. 

Mental Health Services at UW–Madison

• UHS Mental Health Services provides confidential, nonjudgmental support for students who have concerns about their relationship with alcohol and/or other substances. Mental health providers work collaboratively with students to explore their readiness for change, set personalized goals, and develop strategies to improve health and reduce harmful behaviors. Support may include individual counseling, group counseling, and connections to additional campus and community resources.