Naloxone kits now available at SFU campuses

Calls for increased harm reduction and overdose prevention supplies to be available at post-secondary institutions are being answered in the Lower Mainland.

Back in January 2024, Vancouver-born-and-raised Cailin Sidney McIntyire-Starko was killed after fentanyl poisoning and was later found in her University of Victoria dorm room.

Her death resulted in calls from friends, family, and advocates for preventative naloxone kits to be available on B.C. campuses.

As of last week, Simon Fraser University has installed those kits in both its Vancouver and Surrey campuses, as well as in residence and housing buildings.

Moms Stop the Harm co-founder Leslie McBain welcomes the move by the university.

“Naloxone blocks the opioid, thereby letting the person who has ingested it, breathe and people die of overdose because they can no longer breathe. That’s the mechanism, so Naloxone prevents that,” she explained.

“I hope that, along with the installation of these kits in hopefully easily locatable locations within the building, that there is some kind of training that goes along with it,” McBain explained. “I would say, on behalf of Moms Stop the Harm, and certainly myself, this is really good news.”

She explains that making kits accessible is a good start, but she thinks more can still be done to educate people about the toxic drug supply.

“We need the awareness that naloxone can save a life,” she said. “But, it also answers the question, ‘Well, why do we need naloxone?’ We need it because of a very toxic drug supply.”

SFU says its Campus Public Safety team members are first-aid trained, carry naloxone kits, and are trained in administering this potentially life-saving medication.

In addition, Campus Public Safety, in partnership with the Fraser Health Authority, has also provided naloxone and harm reduction training to over 100 SFU community members.