On September 19, 2025, CSU faculty and students alike came together to make a stand against stigma. Stigma against what, exactly? The opioid epidemic.
In 2023, the CDC reported that opioid-involved overdoses made up 76% of all drug overdose deaths. That amounts to nearly 80,000 deaths. A display set up by Eternal Angels arranged at the clock tower gave faces to some of college students who sadly passed from overdose. This is a tragedy that can happen to anyone, anywhere.
Experts say, however, that overdose related deaths are going down. The CDC estimates a 24.5% decrease in drug overdose deaths from April 2024 to April 2025. Georgia itself has an estimated decline of 20.81%.
The PORCH project, a local partnership between the Columbus Consolidated Government and SAMHSA—the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration–to combat drug overdoses with a medicine known as NARCAN, operated a booth at the Reducing Stigma event. The project coordinator, Dr. Barry Poyner, shared his thoughts as to why deaths have dropped.
“This year only we are seeing around a 20% reduction. Drug use seems to be the same, if not higher, but the fentanyl is not as available or as strong. Plus, we have been trying to saturate communities with NARCAN.”
Naloxone, commonly sold under the brand NARCAN, is a powerful tool that can save someone’s life when an overdose is happening.
Opioids activate receptors in the brain which induces slow breathing and pain relief. According to SAMHSA, this can stall breathing to a hazardous point or even stop it altogether.
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist, meaning that it takes up opioid receptors in the brain, but does not activate them. It essentially blocks receptors that would be activated by opioids in a person. It can even displace active opioids from their receptors. This dramatically improves the person’s ability to breath, thus preventing death.
Dr. Poyner highlighted the need for easy access to NARCAN in order to reduce deaths, as populations that don’t have ready access to NARCAN are not experiencing any decline.
PORCH’s very name stands for overcoming this obstacle. It is an acronym for “Providing Overdose Reversal to Give Columbus Hope.” According to their website and brochure, the PORCH project is dedicated to “educating, training, and distributing NARCAN nasal spray to our first Responders and our community at large.”
This life saving medicine was on full display at the Reducing Stigma Event. NARCAN nasal spray can cost anywhere from $35 to $45 at local pharmacies like CVS. However, during the Stigma Event, the PORCH project distributed them for free to students.
Morehouse School of Medicine staff such as Chandra Edwards, the program manager for Opioid Awareness and Harm Reduction Initiatives, provided students with packets detailing facts about common opioids, as well as what to do if you see someone suffering from an overdose.
They also provided a How-To guide for administering Naloxone. First, along with calling 9-1-1, remove the nasal spray from its packaging. Then, carefully place the spray inside the nostril. Lastly, press the plunger around the nozzle until a click can be heard. After that, wait 2-3 minutes to allow the spray to do its work before administering another dosage.
The Morehouse guide also shows how to perform rescue breaths. If a person who has received naloxone is still having trouble with breathing, or not breathing at all, rescue breaths are essential.
First, place the person on their back, face towards you, and make sure nothing is inside their mouths. Then, using a barrier mask if one is nearby, tilt their head back, lift the chin, and pinch their nose closed to better open their airway. Give one slow breath and watch if their chest rises. You should continue to give slow breaths once every five seconds. If they begin to breathe on their own or begin to gurgle, lean them onto their side in a recovery position to allow them to breathe better.
While Naloxone is an incredibly powerful tool, it’s important to highlight the need for treatment after an overdose as well. In a systematic review published in 2022 in the Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology journal, researchers report that all but one of the 38 studies analyzed found “a significant association” between the presence of a mental health disorder and variables relating to overdosing.
The Pillars Initiative, a local nonprofit dedicated to helping underserved populations receive support and resources related to behavioral and mental health challenges, along with tools to help foster a better future, had a booth promoting tools to use in an overdose situation, as well as what to do after.
Founder and Executive Director Tiffany Cuthbert said, “Recovery is not just about stopping substance misuse, it is about building a healthier life emotionally and mentally. Counseling provides tools for coping with stress, unpacking trauma, and building resilience.”
“For many,” she explained, “it is the safe space where they can finally be honest, feel heard, and begin to rebuild their sense of self. That support, especially when it is accessible on a college campus, can make the difference between staying stuck and moving forward.”
The Pillars Initiative website also hosts a range of resources for students, which can be accessed on their website under the Get Help tab.
Faculty from CSU were also present, highlighting the accessibility mentioned by Cuthbert.
Mr. Alex Plata, Coordinator of Outreach and Prevention at the CSU Counseling Center, acknowledged how difficult it can be for students to talk about substance abuse, but hopes the event shows the student body the resources at their disposal, both on campus and in Columbus
“Help is available,” said Plata. “Emotionally, there could be a lot of negative emotions like shame associated with substance abuse. But if you feel that your substance use is becoming a problem or is affecting things that you care about–family, work, education–we’re here to help you. We can talk about it and get you the resources that you need.”
Theresa Willey, Resident Services and Student Support Coordinator, attended the event as well. She also serves on CSU’s Alcohol and Drug Education Task Force as the Task Force Chair.
The Alcohol and Drug Education Task Force is a “university-wide team committed to promoting student health, safety, and well-being through education and prevention related to alcohol and drug use”, as described by Theresa Willey and their website. “Through collaboration and outreach, the task force aims to reduce substance misuse, enhance student success, and cultivate a culture of care and accountability across the university.”
Their page provides more detail about resources accessible to students, both on and off campus.
A student body club also came to advocate against stigma. Eta Sigma Gamma, the national public health education society—which is open to all sciences relating to health, operated a booth that added a fun spin to reduce stigma through winning prizes.
Precious Johnson, the president of Eta Sigma Gamma, stated, “We’re just hoping to spread awareness, passing NARCAN, giving out all the information that we can to help reduce the opioid pandemic.”
Dr. Rebecca Toland and Dr. Carlene Robinson, the Health Science professors behind the Reducing Stigma event, were pleased to see the receptive energy from students.
Dr. Toland stated that the flyer not designating what stigma the event meant to address was by design.
“I didn’t want to put anything specific,” Dr. Toland explained, “because I think a lot of people think that they don’t do things where they could overdose or get poisoned by fentanyl or opioid, or alcohol.”
Dr. Toland had created a similar symposium in the fall, but when she advertised that it was explicitly about drug overdose, there was lackluster interaction.
“Students just didn’t seem interested,” said Dr. Toland. “So, this time, I said ‘Okay, we’re gonna make it fun, even if it’s a topic that’s kind of dark.’ And we had a great turnout so far.” Dr. Toland specifically highlighted the many organizations that came for support, either from the Columbus community or CSU itself.
If you or a loved one are struggling with drug usage, Dr. Carlene Robinson has some advice.
“Definitely go to the counseling center, they have a ton of resources for both the students themselves or family members and friends, and how to have a correct bystander intervention.” She also highlighted the importance of NARCAN and knowing how to administer it.
Even if you do not struggle with substance abuse, or you don’t know anyone who is open about their struggle, it’s still vitally important to both reduce your own prejudices towards the topic and keep up to date on first aid related to treating a victim of overdose. It may just save someone’s life.
