Photo by Flickr.com.

As post-secondary classes for the fall semester get underway, students and staff are reminded of the resources available to prevent and respond to overdoses on campus.

To support post-secondary communities in protecting students, the Province has distributed 1,600 nasal naloxone kits to all public post-secondary institutions and First Nations mandated institutes.

Free nasal naloxone is available anonymously in designated cabinets across campuses, student health clinics and residence buildings.

These locations are usually near emergency phones or automated external defibrillators, making life-saving medication quick and easy to access in case of an overdose.

This is part of the work of the post-secondary overdose steering committee, which was established to review existing policies, identify gaps and establish leading practices for overdose prevention and response across all public post-secondary institutions.

Over the past year, the steering committee has made progress to keep students, staff and faculty safe from harm.

Post-secondary institutions throughout B.C. have programs and policies in place to support people’s safety and raise awareness of the dangers of substance use and overdose prevention, such as educational outreach, workshops, harm-reduction resources integrated into student orientation, and access to counselling services.

Students have access to mental-health and addiction services that fit their needs, including the Foundry network, which offers in-person and online health and wellness services for youth and their families, and Here2Talk, a free, 24/7 mental-health counselling service for post-secondary students.