End Overdose LSU is an organization dedicated to educating students about drug overdoses and providing them with the knowledge and materials needed to respond to such situations.
The organization is just one chapter of a much larger, nation-wide initiative to end drug-related overdose deaths through education, medical intervention and public awareness. The national headquarters is in Los Angeles, Calif.
The chapter at LSU receives pamphlets, fentanyl testing strips and Narcan — a medication that can reverse the effects of fentanyl– from the national headquarters. Then, the members distribute the materials at a table in Free Speech Alley and offer five-minute training sessions to interested students.
“[The goal] is just to get people educated on how to use Narcan so we can prevent more lives lost,” said Melina Vicente, a senior psychology major and the outreach coordinator for the organization.
Vicente manages the club’s social media and oversees tabling outside of the Student Union to get the information out to students.
She is passionate about substance abuse issues because her brother passed away from an overdose in 2022. She said she never wants anyone to experience what she and her family went through four years ago, which is why she works hard to spread awareness and educate as many students as she can.
“If I could give the training to 20 people and give 20 people Narcan, if they see someone [overdosing], that could be max 20 lives saved,” Vicente said. “That could be 20 families that don’t have to go through what my family went through.”
Many of the members, like Vicente, have personal experiences with drug-related overdose deaths.
Mia Stocker, a freshman biology major and fundraising coordinator, explained how her uncle was prescribed opioids for a back injury even though he had a history of substance abuse. He eventually became addicted and suffered an overdose.
“I think it really changed my opinion on what gives a doctor the right to prescribe something to someone,” Stocker said. “I feel like they should be looking into family history … They should be looking into mental health and patterns within this person.”
Stocker emphasized how dangerous and addictive drugs such as fentanyl can be. A common misconception is that any amount of fentanyl will kill you, but Stocker explained that many people take fentanyl with medical prescriptions, just like her uncle did.
Taking “hard drugs” like this increases the risk of becoming addicted. That is why Stocker believes there should be more regulations on who has access to opioids such as fentanyl.
Addiction to certain drugs can motivate users to buy illegally, which is dangerous because illegal drugs are unregulated. Situations like these can lead to overdoses because users accidentally consume a lethal dosage.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration reports that on average two milligrams of fentanyl can be lethal depending on the person’s body size, tolerance and past usage.
End Overdose LSU urges students to make sure they are confident what they are taking is safe. They recognize that students may take drugs regardless of warnings not to, but stress the importance of being safe no matter what.
“I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘Oh don’t do it, don’t do it,’ because they’re their own people. But if you’re going to do it, just be smart about it,” Vicente said. “At least test for your own safety.”
