Trevor Leopold was a freshman at Sonoma State when he died of a fentanyl overdose in 2019. Trevor was battling with addiction, so what he thought was oxycodone, a pain medication, was instead a fentanyl counterfeit. At 18 years old, that unknowing decision cost him his life. He was said to have a very positive outlook on life and was actively working toward a bright future. As fentanyl overdoses are becoming more common, no one is immune to the possibility of counterfeit drugs.

Michelle Leopold, Trevor’s mother, is now an activist for overdose prevention and will be speaking at an event hosted by SSU on Mon., March 6 in Ballroom A. She is going to be discussing how to be an educated consumer, how to save lives during an overdose, and how one pill can kill. 

To prevent more stories like Trevor’s, Sonoma State and other colleges around California are increasing awareness and prevention in a new campaign.

A new state law, effective Jan. 1, calls for prevention measures to be more accessible to students. With 109 fentanyl-related deaths in Sonoma County in 2021, SSU is aiming to teach students that fentanyl is dangerous and present in counterfeit opioids and other laced drugs. 

Nader Oweis, Chief of Police at Sonoma State, explains how information will be given to students, “We will be working with Student Involvement, REACH and the Health Center to discuss overdose prevention during tabling events through the semester and in the fall”. The goal is to make sure that students know how to properly manage an overdose and understand the resources available. 

One of the most important resources is Narcan, or naloxone, a substance that can be administered at the time of an overdose of opioids to save a person’s life, and is carried by SSU police officers as well as given to students in the health center. The campaign is looking to increase awareness and training of Narcan so students can feel comfortable having it on hand. 

According to the California Department of Public Health, “Naloxone can be quickly given through nasal spray in the nose, or through an injectable or auto-injector into the outer thigh or another major muscle. Naloxone is safe and easy to use, works almost immediately, and is not addictive. Naloxone has very few negative effects, and has no effect if opioids are not in a person’s system”. Narcan typically works in two to three minutes, and if not, another dose should be administered.

Julia Zavala, a third year Communication major, believes that the education of Narcan is important, “I just think a lot of college students are into partying and you never know where things are really coming from, so it’s great that students can become more educated on how to deal with an overdose,” said Zavala

The party scene in college often comes with a lot of impulse decisions and altered decision making. What may seem like a new and exciting experience can quickly turn deadly. Fentanyl is undetectable by sight, taste, or smell, so any user would be ingesting the substance unknowingly. Fentanyl is an issue in every community and not just on college campuses.

Jackson Rice, a third year Business major, explains, “LA and San Francisco have such a huge drug problem, and getting the proper services for addicts is just not available and it’s sad. People are very discriminatory towards people trying to help themselves, so knowing schools are now starting to take action may push the state to take action in our communities in general, so I think it’s a great first step in getting in control of this problem”. 

For more information about Narcan, events, or other resources, contact the Sonoma State Police Department on their 24-hour non-emergency number or the Health Center.