One Spray Could Save a Life

US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) officials and college administrators across the country issued a warning to students headed off to college this past fall: The drugs that you have access to now are much more dangerous than what was seen on college campuses in the past.1,2 Among these dangerous drugs is fentanyl, a powerful synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine.3 Even more concerning than fentanyl’s potency is the fact that it is showing up in unexpected places—non-opioid substances like cocaine and methamphetamine, “fake” pills meant to resemble other opioids and even vape pens.3,4 To address the threat posed by illegal fentanyl and other potentially lethal substances, it’s more important than ever that young people today help protect themselves and their fellow students in case of an opioid overdose.2,3,5 Be ready with KLOXXADO® (nalonone HCI) Nasal Spray, an easy-to-use nasal spray that can reverse the effects of a life-threatening opioid emergency in minutes.6

Opioid overdoses are happening on college campuses today

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), synthetic opioids like fentanyl are the primary driver of opioid overdose deaths in the US.3 Fentanyl isn’t new; it’s been used in the US for decades as anesthesia and is still prescribed by doctors to treat severe and chronic pain.7,8 But this isn’t the kind of fentanyl that school administrators are worried about.3,9 The kind of fentanyl that’s causing concern today is illicitly made and finding its way to college campuses, often causing fatal opioid overdoses.3,9 Just two milligrams of fentanyl — the amount you can hold on the point of a pencil — is enough to be deadly.10

Even non-opioid users are at risk for opioid overdose

Often unbeknownst to the end user, illegally made fentanyl is being mixed into other illicit substances like cocaine and methamphetamine.3 As a result, students who experiment with or use what they believe are non-opioid substances are putting themselves at risk for an opioid overdose.3 Drug dealers also press illegally made fentanyl into fake tablets that are virtually impossible to distinguish from authentic oxycodone, Xanax®, Adderall® and other legitimate prescription pills.3,11 Powerful synthetic opioids are even showing up in vape pens.4,12 Recent data suggests a significant portion of e-cigarette sales involve illegal substances, highlighting a growing public safety and health concern.12 According to a September 2025 news release from the US DEA, devices containing illegal and addictive substances are currently for sale in vape shops.12

Colleges nationwide recognize the threat posed by fentanyl

Fentanyl’s presence in the illicit drug market means that opioid overdose is a universal risk that could affect a wide range of students beyond those who knowingly use opioids.3,9 Fortunately, colleges and universities across the country are implementing opioid overdose prevention programs, including those which increase access to naloxone products on campus.13-20 Here are a few examples:

  • The University of Colorado Boulder (CU) began expanding access to overdose prevention resources in 2022, after new legislation allowed universities to distribute free naloxone and fentanyl test strips.13 Since then, CU has distributed 7,510 doses of naloxone.13 Naloxone was recently added to the AED stations in every residence hall as well.13
  • The Ohio State University has partnered with the Alcohol, Drug and Mental Health Board of Franklin County (ADAMH) to expand access to naloxone by placing dozens of “NaloxBox” stations throughout campus and in medical center locations.14 Each station includes two doses of naloxone nasal spray and instructions for use.14
  • Naloxone Texas, a program of the Be Well Institute on Substance Use and Related Disorders at the University of Texas at San Antonio Health Science Center, launched an initiative in the fall of 2025 to distribute free naloxone and provide overdose response training to students, faculty and staff.15

Help protect your student body today with KLOXXADO® (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray 8 mg

KLOXXADO® is a prefilled naloxone nasal spray that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose in minutes—including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl.6 When given in time, it can restore normal breathing within 2 or 3 minutes.6 Because naloxone works only if a person has opioids in their system, KLOXXADO® has no effect in people who are not taking opioids.6,20 KLOXXADO® is small and easy to carry in a pocket, backpack or purse.6 It’s also easy to use; no medical training is required.6 Like a fire extinguisher, using KLOXXADO® is an important step you can take to help someone in the critical minutes between the 911 call and the time when emergency medical services arrive.6

The importance of having KLOXXADO® on campus

Opioid overdose emergencies can happen anywhere and anytime, so all college campuses should be prepared with a naloxone nasal spray like KLOXXADO®.6 According to 2024 data from the CDC’s State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS), 67.5% of the 53,336 drug overdose deaths reported had at least one potential opportunity for intervention, and a bystander was present in 44% of cases.21 Given the risk of fatal opioid overdose, colleges and universities should provide naloxone in locations easily accessible to students and faculty such as first aid kits and automated external defibrillator (AED) cabinets, student housing common areas, campus transportation vehicles, health and counseling centers, resource facilities, study lounges and with campus police and security personnel. Regardless of where it is made available, naloxone should be easily accessible and always accompanied by clear instructions for use.22 Timely access is also crucial; it takes only four minutes for brain damage to occur once a person stops breathing.23 If naloxone is not yet widely available at your school, contact your university’s health service to ask about naloxone and how you might help develop a campus-wide plan for naloxone access. Having KLOXXADO® available for students across campus or to carry can save a life.6

Be ready to help save a life in an opioid overdose emergency

If you are hesitant to help someone you believe to be experiencing an opioid overdose, you shouldn’t be. Most states have Good Samaritan laws, which offer legal protection to people who attempt to provide reasonable assistance to those who are (or whom they believe to be) injured, ill, in peril or otherwise incapacitated.24 Follow these steps to reverse an opioid overdose with KLOXXADO®:6

  1. Check for the physical signs of opioid overdose, including:6
    • Person will not wake up and does not respond to your voice or touch
    • Breathing is very slow, irregular or has stopped
    • Center part of their eye is very small (also known as “pinpoint pupils”)
  2. Lay the person on their back to give a dose of KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray.6
  3. Remove KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray from the box; peel back the tab with the black triangle to open the blister.6

Note: KLOXXADO® freezes at temperatures below 5°F (-15°C). If this happens, the device will not spray. Get emergency medical help right away if this happens. Do not wait for KLOXXADO® to thaw. KLOXXADO® may still be used if it has been thawed after being previously frozen.

  1. Hold the KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray with your thumb on the bottom of the plunger and your first and middle fingers on either side of the nozzle.6

Do not apply any pressure until you are ready to give the dose.

  1. Tilt the person’s head back and provide support under the neck with your6

Gently insert the tip of the nozzle into one nostril until your fingers on either side of the nozzle are against the bottom of the person’s nose.

  1. Press the plunger firmly to give the dose of KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray.6
  2. Remove the KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray from the nostril after giving the dose.6
  3. Get emergency medical help right away.6

Move the person on their side (recovery position) giving KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray. Watch the person closely for 2 to 3 minutes.

If the person does not respond by waking up, responding to voice or touch or starting to breathe normally, another dose may be given.

Repeat Steps 3 through 7 using a new KLOXXADO® Nasal Spray to give another dose in the other nostril. If more is available, Steps 3 through 7 may be repeated every 2 to 3 minutes, alternating nostrils, until the person responds or emergency medical help is received.

Always try KLOXXADO® if you suspect an opioid overdose.6 While it won’t harm someone who is not having an opioid overdose, it could save the life of someone who is.6,20 To find out more about KLOXXADO®, including details on how to use it and where to get it, visit KLOXXADO.com.6

NOTE: This article was not written by a medical professional and is not intended to substitute for the guidance of a physician. These are not  recommendations, but rather facts and data collected from various reliable medical sources. Full list of references and attributing links below.

References

  1. DEA Rocky Mountain Seizes Record 7 Million Counterfeit Fentanyl Pills in Colorado, Sixth-Largest US Pill Seizure. US DEA website. Available at: https://www.dea.gov/. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  2. DEA warns college students about dangers of drug abuse and Fentanyl. Hometown Stations website. Available at: https://www.hometownstations.com/news/allen_county/dea-warns-college-students-about-dangers-of-drug-abuse-and-fentanyl/article_dc2de265-ac3d-4c78-90e6-html. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  3. Fentanyl CDC Stop Overdose website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/fentanyl-facts.html. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  4. THC vape pens laced with synthetic opioids are claiming lives|Opinion. Leaf Chronicle website. Available at: https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/opinion/contributors/2025/10/14/synthetic-opioids-vape-pens/86547041007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z112003e008100v112003b0020xxd002065&gca-ft=209&gca-ds=sophi. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  5. Opioid Overdose. Cleveland Clinic website. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24583-opioid-overdose. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  6. KLOXXADO® (naloxone HCl) Nasal Spray [prescribing information]. Columbus, OH: Hikma Specialty USA Inc., 2025.
  7. Stanley, Fentanyl. J Pain Symptom Manage. 2005;29(5S):S67-S71.
  8. Ramos-Matos CF, Bistas KG, Lopez-Ojeda Fentanyl. [Updated May 29, 2023]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; January 2025. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459275/
  9. Combatting Fentanyl on College Campuses: Doctor Shares Vital Warning for Parents. The News website. Available at: https://www.postandcourier.com/kingstree/opinion/combatting-fentanyl-on-college-campuses-doctor-shares-vital-warning-for-parents/article_c31eb5fe-8fad-11ee-a025-html. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  10. One Pill Can US DEA website. Available at: https://www.dea.gov/onepill. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  11. Counterfeit Pills. US DEA website/Department of Justice/DEA Drug Fact Sheet. Available at: https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2021-05/Counterfeit%20Pills%20fact%20SHEET-5-13-21-FINAL.pdf. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  12. Operation Vape Trail Cracks Down on Illegal Substances in Vape US DEA website. Available at: https://www.dea.gov/press-releases/2025/09/25/operation-vape-trail-cracks-down-illegal-substances-vape-shops. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  13. Free overdose prevention supplies available. University of Colorado Boulder/Health & Well-Being Available at: https://www.colorado.edu/health/2025/03/18/free-overdose-prevention-supplies-available. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  14. The Ohio State University/Safe and Healthy Buckeyes website. Available at: https://safeandhealthy.osu.edu/naloxbox. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  15. Naloxone Texas launches overdose prevention initiative on college campuses. University of Texas San Antonio Health Newsroom website. Available at: https://news.uthscsa.edu/naloxone-texas-launches-overdose-prevention-initiative-on-college-campuses/. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  16. The latest college campus freebies? Naloxone and fentanyl test NPR website. Available at: https://www.npr.org/2023/10/18/1206274353/college-fentanyl-overdose. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  17. Preventing Opioid Overdose in US Higher Education Settings. Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery Available at: https://hecaod.osu.edu/. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  18. Implementing a Collegiate Naloxone and Stop-The-Bleed Kit The Journal of Collegiate Emergency Medical Services website. Available at: https://www.collegeems.com/implementing-a-collegiate-naloxone-and-stop-the-bleed-kit-program/. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  19. Students Are Learning to Stop Opioid Overdoses. Inside Higher Ed website. Available at: https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2022/08/15/narcan-increasingly-common-college-campuses. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  20. Lifesaving Naloxone. CDC Stop Overdose website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/stop-overdose/caring/naloxone.html. Accessed November 19,
  21. SUDORS Dashboard: Fatal Drug Overdose Data. CDC Overdose Prevention website. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/overdose-prevention/data-research/facts-stats/sudors-dashboard-fatal-overdose-data.html. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  22. Freibott CE, McCann NC, Biondi BE, Lipson Interventions to increase naloxone access for undergraduate students: A systematic review of the literature. J Am Coll Health. 2025 July;73(6):2398-2406.
  23. Cerebral Hypoxia. Cleveland Clinic website. Available at: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/6025-cerebral-hypoxia. Accessed November 19, 2025.
  24. Drug Misuse: Most States Have Good Samaritan Laws and Research Indicates They May Have Positive Effects. US Government Accountability Office website. Available at: https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-21-248. Accessed November 19, 2025.

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