Greek life hosts many social events, many of which can become extremely chaotic. However, fraternity brothers are completing Narcan training to help ensure safety at socials.
Jackson County is no stranger to drug charges. Between May 8 and May 12, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office led an operation that led to the arrest of 15 people. During the operation, 109 grams of methamphetamine, 88 grams of cocaine, 44.6 grams of fentanyl, nearly a pound of marijuana, 86 THC cartridges, 37.5 assorted prescription pills, 12 ecstasy (MDMA) tablets, 3.5 suboxone units and 3.5 grams of psilocybin (psychedelic) mushrooms were seized.
Due to the circulation of drugs in Jackson County, fraternity brothers are encouraged to carry Naloxone and be properly trained to administer it at their socials.
Naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan, is a nasal spray that is used to reverse opioid overdoses.
With the hurricane, the day of the training has been postponed to a non-specified date yet, but fraternity members are already getting ready for the training.
“My goal is to get at least 75% of my fraternity there,” said Matthew Aniva, the president of the Pi Lambda Phi.
Outside of Narcan training some fraternities are exercising extra caution by creating plans in the case of an overdose at a social.
“If someone overdoses, we’ll make sure to take them upstairs and provide support to them, while also getting law enforcement to the place,” said Avina.
When asked for an interview, the Department of Greek Student Engagement and Development said that they “encourage all student organizations to prioritize safety at any events they host, the University does not sponsor, supervise, or monitor private social events.”
So, fraternities have been the ones to plan and start the narcan training for their members to provide safety at their social events. Narcan will be a step in the direction of the safety of WCU students at Greek Life social events.
“There’s still so much more we can do,” said Avina. “We’re not 100% safe, but we are well on our way.”
