MUPD has collaborated with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery – Wisconsin’s only statewide recovery network currently supported by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, Division of Care and Treatment Services – to install Nalox-ZONE (Narcan) boxes at Marquette University.
The boxes are currently being installed in 15 locations across campus by Wisconsin Voices for Recovery beginning on Friday, Oct. 13.
A Nalox-ZONE box is a type of rescue kit that is used to temporarily restore breathing to help prevent fatalities from opioid overdoses. Each box contains:
- two doses of naloxone nasal spray – an opioid reversal drug
- a breathing barrier for CPR administration
- instructions on how to administer naloxone nasal spray
In addition to emergency use in the event of opioid-related drug overdose, Narcan can also be removed from the container to possess as a precaution. Boxes are being installed in each residence hall, as well as Campus Town West, Campus Town East and McCabe Apartments. There will also be two Nalox-ZONE box locations in the Alumni Memorial Union and one in the Union Sports Annex.
“We are grateful to collaborate with Wisconsin Voices for Recovery to support the Marquette community with this precautionary measure,” said MUPD Chief Edith Hudson. “Our goal is to be proactive in preventing drug overdoses, rather than being reactive to a tragedy. By making these boxes available and their presence known, we are educating our community on the dangers of opioid use, while protecting them in the event of an overdose.”
“Opioid overdose fatalities remain high in the United States and, despite progress in addressing the opioid epidemic over the past few years, the number of reported suspected opioid overdoses also continues to remain high in Wisconsin,” said Cindy Burzinski, director of Wisconsin Voices for Recovery. “The mission of our Nalox-ZONE program is to increase access to naloxone by distributing Nalox-ZONE boxes across Wisconsin, to support both safety and harm reduction efforts to save lives and prevent fatalities as a result of opioid overdoses. The more accessible naloxone is, the more we can support the lives of Wisconsin community members and avoid tragedy.”
The Wisconsin Voices for Recovery Nalox-ZONE program provides free naloxone upon request and through installation of Nalox-ZONE boxes throughout the community. These boxes allow free access to naloxone, which is especially important in emergency situations where an overdose is occurring. Program specialists remotely track box access to ensure the boxes are stocked in a timely manner and to collect data on the number of units of naloxone dispensed at each box site.
