In regard to the article “UWO aims to prevent overdoses,” posted on Oct. 26, 2022, I wholeheartedly agree with the idea to give UW Oshkosh students easier access to Narcan; it is a lifesaving drug used on people with suspected overdoses to save their lives.

The idea of giving students free access to Narcan is a great solution to reducing the number of overdoses on campus. 

However, I disagree with how UWO is distributing Narcan among its students. I disagree with where the Narcan is being distributed and believe that moving the drug to different locations could be better for our community.

As of right now, most Narcan locations on campus are typically in dormitories near fire extinguishers and elevators — both of which are highly used —  along with public locations in the dorms.

The issue is not the Narcan, but rather the access to it and the problems that come with them being in such public areas. 

As a student, I had no idea Narcan was on campus and I had no idea where it was. In my opinion, by moving the Narcan to more private locations such as by the bathrooms on each floor of  the dorms or in the bathrooms themselves, we can improve the chances that UWO students do not feel judged for being and staying safe. 

Also, by adding signs around the residence halls that tell the residents the location of Narcan, how to use it and the zero repercussions that come from being safe.

Overall, we as a community can improve our safety and wellbeing by stopping preventable deaths from happening in our community.