Naloxone / Narcan
Naloxone is a medication used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Naloxone is also known by the brand name Narcan, which is the nasal spray version of the medication.
Naloxone blocks the effects of drugs made from opium, or opioids. These include:
- Heroin
- Morphine
- Oxycodone
- Methadone
- Fentanyl
- Hydrocodone
- Codeine
Opioids slow your breathing. If you take too much of an opioid, your breathing may stop and you could die. If given soon enough, naloxone can counter the overdose effects, usually within minutes. However, the medication only pauses the effects of opioids, and emergency medical help is still required.
Please note that naloxone will not provide medical rescue help to someone passed out or overdosing from a non-opioid substance, such as alcohol, stimulants or sedatives. Though naloxone will not help them, it also will not harm them.
Get Narcan On Campus
UT Austin students, faculty and staff can access Narcan for free and anonymously on campus. Narcan is available at the security desk in the Perry Castañeda Library as well as at the Longhorn Wellness Center (SSB 1.106).
Narcan is also available for emergency access at all residence hall front desks, the Sid Richardson Library, the Life Sciences Library, the Perry Castañeda Library, and through the UT Police Department.
View all of the free naloxone access sites in Austin using this map created by SHIFT.
UT students, faculty and staff are not required to provide their names or other information to obtain the free medication. However, staff in the course of responding to a medical emergency, will collect student and other incident information to help manage the emergency.
Recognizing Opioid Overdose
A person who has overdosed from opioids may:
- Be breathing very slowly or not breathing at all
- Have blue or purplish lips or fingernails
- Be limp
- Be vomiting or gurgling
- Not wake up or respond if you try to rouse them
If a person shows signs of an opioid overdose:
- Try to wake them up.
- Administer naloxone.
- Call 911 immediately.
- Check for breathing. If they are not breathing, give CPR or provide rescue breaths if you are trained and comfortable.
- Stay with the person.