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85 <br /> 2. Project Narrative <br /> A. Assessment of Community Need <br /> Orange County, North Carolina, and the surrounding areas where our students reside have <br /> experienced an increase in consumption of opioid infused substances and related overdoses <br /> over recent years. According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services <br /> (NCDHHS, 2024), opioid-related emergency department visits in the county have risen by over <br /> 40% in the past five years. This rate is affirmed by our own local UNC Health ER. This concerning <br /> trend affects our campus community of approximately 32,200 students at the University of <br /> North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC Office of Institutional Research, 2025). <br /> UNC-Chapel Hill's naloxone distribution initiative operates through two campus pharmacies, the <br /> Student Wellness department, and other pop-up venues. These have been funded by a prior NC <br /> DHHS grant that expired on June 30, 2025. This funding gap disrupts access to anonymous, no- <br /> cost overdose prevention and reversal resources that serve our diverse campus community. <br /> Without continued funding, we are losing crucial harm reduction services when needed. <br /> Additionally, and anecdotally, there has been a rise of 7-OH usage (the opioid receptor agonist <br /> found in Kratom) on our campus - our recovery coordinator has seen multiple students who <br /> have engaged with this substance. Our colleagues in Campus Health, our Counseling Center, and <br /> UNC Health ER corroborate this trend. The additional naloxone provided by this grant will put <br /> the university in a position of strategic reaction instead of unpreparedness to the increase of <br /> this drug's usage. <br /> The National Institute on Drug Abuse (2023) identifies several barriers to naloxone access <br /> among college students, including stigma, cost barriers, and lack of awareness about where to <br /> obtain the medication. Our proposal aims to address these specific barriers by: <br /> 1. Expanding anonymous access points across campus <br /> 2. Eliminating cost barriers through settlement funding <br /> 3. Integrating naloxone distribution with existing emergency response infrastructure <br /> (e.g., co-location with AED stations) <br /> Our institution's unique characteristics make this program particularly crucial: <br /> • Geographic Area: Multiple residential locations across Chapel Hill with high-density <br /> student housing areas requiring comprehensive coverage <br /> • Current Infrastructure: Two campus pharmacies currently distribute naloxone, along <br /> with other channels detailed in sections below <br /> • Existing Programs: Carolina Recovery Program and HRC@UNC provide foundational <br /> harm reduction services <br /> 1 <br />