Expanded campus access to Narcan and fentanyl test strips

Expanded campus access to Narcan and fentanyl test strips  

The University of Wisconsin–Madison provides free access to Narcan, a brand of naloxone nasal spray, to UW–Madison students, faculty and staff, and visitors. This lifesaving medicine can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose and is now available at 35 campus locations.  

UW–Madison participates in Wisconsin Voices for Recovery‘s Nalox-ZONE Program, which provides free access to naloxone. The university has continued to expand access to Narcan through wall-mounted boxes in campus buildings. In 2022, Narcan was made available in university Housing, with additional access points on campus added in 2023. In March 2025, 10 more Narcan boxes were installed in university buildings, including Memorial Library, Fluno Center, and the Arboretum. 

The boxes contain Narcan nasal spray, a breathing mask, and instructions on how to administer Narcan. If a bystander witnesses a person experiencing an overdose, they should call 911 immediately and administer naloxone while emergency responders are on their way. 

This semester, fentanyl test strips were also added to the Health Vending Machine in the Student Activity Center on the 3rd floor of 333 East Campus Mall. The test strips are available to students free of charge, and students can take as many as they need.  

Saving lives on campus 

Providing access to harm reduction resources like Narcan and fentanyl test strips on campus is part of UW–Madison’s campus-wide efforts to support student wellbeing and create a safer campus community. These resources are provided in response to the rise in overdose deaths in recent years, with many of these deaths attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. 

Many overdoses occur in people who do not realize they have taken fentanyl, since it is often found mixed with other drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, and counterfeit pills. In addition to providing education on overdose awareness, equipping the campus community with Narcan and fentanyl test strips helps reduce the risk of overdose and save lives.  

Since its start in 2022, the Narcan program has seen significant success, with over 70 Narcan kits removed in the first two years of the program. Student knowledge of overdose awareness and Narcan administration has steadily increased based on surveys included in first-year required education programs. The program has also saved lives. UHS has received at least two reports that Narcan has been administered on campus, most recently by a student employee at the Wisconsin Union.  

Creating a safer campus community 

Here are four actions members of our campus community can take to prevent overdose on campus:  

• Know the signs of an opioid overdose. A person experiencing an opioid overdose is often unresponsive and cannot be woken up. They may also have pinpoint pupils, blue fingernails, a limp body, and erratic or shallow breathing.  

• Locate your nearest Narcan box. View the campus map of Narcan locations, and find which of the 35 boxes is most accessible to you.  

• Carry Narcan, or keep it in your home or office. Narcan is recommended for proactive carrying by those who may be at risk of overdose or know someone at risk of overdose. Campus community members who do not live on campus, or those who work or study in buildings without access, may take Narcan from a campus box in another building. 

• Have a harm reduction plan. If you or someone you know is at risk of overdose, reduce your risk of overdose by testing substances before use, carrying Narcan, and never using alone.  

Harm reduction and recovery resources 

In addition to these programs aimed at reducing drug-related harm, UHS provides medical and mental health care services, as well as recovery support through Badger Recovery.

For more information, including a list of frequently asked questions about Narcan and fentanyl test strips, visit the UHS harm reduction resources webpage.