Students, community members and Department of Public Safety officers all huddled around a white table at the Jefferson and Hoover intersection Wednesday with a large sign that hung from a table that read, “FREE NARCAN.” Sprawled across the table were new and half-opened Narcan kits, and it was where the Narcan training was held. 

Inside an ambulance nearby stood Luke Sparks, a sophomore majoring in health promotion and disease prevention studies. He showed participants around the space and pointed out important medical equipment such as petroleum gauze for gunshot wounds, a bag valve mask for cardiac arrests and the siren lights, which can be used for emergencies or for fun.

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At one point, a brave volunteer agreed to participate in Sparks’ demonstration of how to place a neck brace on someone. 

Meanwhile, at the table, students in identical dark blue T-shirts explained the telltale signs of an overdose, how to administer Narcan and why it’s important to have it on hand. After they finished their presentation, participants lined up to get a certificate, fentanyl-resistant gloves and, as promised, a box of Narcan.

Sophia Dettweiler, the club’s treasurer and a sophomore majoring in health promotion and disease prevention studies as well as neuroscience, said that the certificate isn’t anything official, but the club does want to keep track of who has completed their training. Across the nation, overdose deaths continue to rise.    

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention classifies opioid overdoses as an “epidemic” and states more than 1 million people have died since 1999 from a drug overdose — with 75% of all drug overdose deaths involving an opioid. This class of drugs is used to prevent pain and includes prescription opioids, fentanyl and heroin. 

Narcan is a life-saving drug used to stop opioid overdoses. Administering naloxone —  the specific chemical in Narcan that reduces the effects of opioids — through either the nasal spray or in liquid form can prevent death caused by overdosing.  

“We have been telling students all day that [an overdose] can truly happen to anyone,” Dettweiler said. “You might be taking something else that you don’t realize is cut with fentanyl … You might be walking down the street on your way back from class and see a stranger on the street, there’s going to be an overdose, and you could save their life. You never know.”

After four hours, The Emergency Medicine Club of USC gave out over 120 boxes of Narcan — worth over $7,000. 

“[I] definitely feel more knowledgeable about [administering Narcan] and more comfortable to actually use it on someone,” said Enton Cheng, a graduate student studying finance. 

The cost of Narcan is a “barrier to access,” said Hallie Yong, a senior majoring in global health. A box with one dose sells for around $50.

Lisette Perales, a junior majoring in psychology, was unaware she could obtain Narcan for free at Engemann Student Health Center. The guarantee of free Narcan is what brought her to the booth.

“I’ve been really getting used to the party scene,” Perales said. “I haven’t seen people use opioids, but I know it’s a big problem out here, and if someone needs the help, I want to be there to help.”

The EM Club of USC is seeking recognition as a student organization, though USC has had an ongoing pause on new applications since January. Dettweiler said they will apply again as soon as the application reopens next fall.  

Sparks — the organization’s director and founder — wears many hats outside of the club. On top of being a full-time pre-med student at USC, he is an EMT-911 at Falck Ambulance, and he’s a clinical instructor at the UCLA Department of Emergency Medicine where he teaches lifesaving skills. 

Part of the reason Sparks became an Emergency Medical Technician was because he said he wanted to learn what to do in a medical emergency after a few close calls with friends and family members. While on the job, he’s seen patients die due to opioid overdoses and said USC students need to do their best to care for the South Central community.

“I think it’s critical for everyone, not only pre-medical students, to get emergency medical training, whether it be CPR training or stop the bleed training,” Sparks said. “These are critical life-saving medical skills that everyone should know. I feel like they should be taught at a younger age.”