IU Indianapolis will host a drop-in event called Save a Life Day from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 21 in the Campus Center Atrium. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to use naloxone in an emergency and learn the symptoms of an opioid-induced overdose.
"We want to make sure that our students have resources, understand, and the knowledge that they need to make sure that they are able to take care of someone who's experiencing overdose and know what they need to do in case they run into a situation on campus where that's an issue," said Danielle Wolfe, assistant director of Substance Use Intervention Services at IU Indianapolis.
Students can create lifesaver kits and sign a pledge to know the signs to help create a safer campus. Students can also help assemble naloxone kits that Substance Use Intervention Services distributes on campus and to the community when needed.
The campus event comes three days before National Save a Life Day on Sept. 24, and it doubles as a training event for students and faculty on how to respond to an opioid emergency, including how to administer naloxone.
"We are not only educating around that, (naloxone training) but we're also talking about what are the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose," Wolfe said.
Anyone at IU can drop in to take this training and learn about the importance of understanding opioid emergencies. Students and organizations also have access to NaloxBoxes placed strategically around campus, as well as fentanyl test strips. Students can find these in the residence halls or use the interactive map.
Wolfe said student organizations can also request a large number of TK to pass out to their members.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration first approved Narcan, the naloxone nasal spray, in 2015 as a prescription drug before approving it for over-the-counter purchase in 2023.
"Naloxone is a critical tool in addressing opioid overdoses and today's approval underscores the extensive efforts the agency has undertaken to combat the overdose crisis," said Dr. Patrizia Cavazzoni, then-director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, in the agency's March 2023 announcement.
To understand these overdoses, it is important to know the substance that causes them. Opioids can be found in both prescription drugs, like pain pills, and illegal substances, such as heroin or fentanyl. With such a wide range of uses, having the knowledge to help during an emergency could save a life.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whose opioid overdose epidemic page was last updated Aug. 28, 2026, "approximately 105,000 people died from drug overdose in 2023 and nearly 80,000 of those deaths involved opioids."
The CDC launched the Overdose Data to Action cooperative agreement as part of its commitment to prevent overdoses. The program now funds 90 health departments under two distinct programs, State and LOCAL, to reduce drug overdoses.
The IU School of Public Health-Bloomington offers a free online naloxone training program called "Citizen Opioid Responders," with the goal of increasing the number of people capable of administering naloxone in an emergency.
"IU students, faculty, staff, and community members are empowered to act and become part of a growing network of responders prepared to make a lifesaving difference," the school says on its Prevention Insights page.
Substance Use Intervention Services at IU Indianapolis periodically hosts tabling events on campus and gives class presentations on the subject by request.
Devin Bates (they/he) is a journalism major at IU Indianapolis and works for The Campus Citizen as an editor and writer, with an interest in writing and the arts. In their free time, they can be found working on their project cars or writing, and they also enjoy cosplay and other crafts, listening to music and gaming.
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