The Rutgers chapter of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity has worked to implement a Narcan drug overdose prevention program to be available in greek life housing across the University.
Shaun Hsueh, program coordinator at the fraternity and a Rutgers Business School junior, said the Narcan program was created as a preventative measure for drug overdoses. The program’s title is named after Narcan, which is the brand name of a narcotic that is used to treat drug overdoses in emergencies.
“This is a program that we’ve seen work across the U.S. … It’s effective, and it has been able to save lives,” he said. “Being able to implement this program onto campus is something that we’re honored to be able to bring in, and we think it’s a great opportunity to be able to have.”
Hsueh said that each fraternity house on campus will receive program training. The training will be held once per semester for each greek organization, and two chapter officers and four members of the chapter will be present, he said.
Gareth Patterson, president of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity and a School of Arts and Sciences senior, said the funding for the program will come from various University organizations that have provided grants to go toward the program’s implementation.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital (RWJUH) is one of the organizations that will aid the program, as its staff will provide training and Narcan kits for all Rutgers students, Patterson said. The Rutgers Training Intervention Procedures (TIPS) program will also provide training for alcohol monitoring to members of the University’s fraternities.
He also said that the training is simple and Narcan kits are easy to administer. The training sessions will last approximately an hour long and will teach students how to properly use the Narcan kits.
