Student Health Services (SHS) hosted an Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) and Narcan training for University community members on June 7. With nearly two dozen AED and Narcan stations now located on the campus of Arcadia University, SHS notes that it is beneficial to the whole community to have as many people trained as possible.

According to CDC data shared by Hope McMahan from Prevention Education Solutions, 75 percent of the nearly 92,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. in 2020 involved an opioid and therefore could have been prevented by the use of Narcan. Narcan is a brand name for a nasal spray Naloxone, a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids—including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications—when given in time. You cannot harm someone by administering Narcan if they do not have opioids in their system, McMahan said.

Attendees watched this Narcan training video before receiving a two-pack of Narcan. McMahan also distributed educational materials and fentanyl test strips, which can detect the presence of fentanyl—a synthetic opioid that causes many overdoses—in all different kinds of drugs.

SHS Director Theresa Smith led the AED training, which consisted of a video and hands-on demonstration. An AED is used to help those experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. According to the American Red Cross, it is an easy-to-use, medical device that can analyze the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help the heart re-establish an effective rhythm. The AEDs on campus provide voice and text prompts, explaining the steps that should be taken. You do not need to be CPR-certified in order to use an AED, Smith said. The map below shows where on campus AEDs and Narcan are located.