image of clear vile labled fentanyl

Contact Health Education Outreach

Phone | (909) 607-3602
Email | heo@claremont.edu
Hours | Monday – Friday 1:00 PM. – 6:00 P.M.
For private health sessions please call/email our department directly for scheduling.

Health Education Outreach
Tranquada Student Services Center – 1st Floor
757 College Way
Claremont, CA, 91711

Fentanyl Education, Advice, and Resources

In September of 2022, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) put out an health alert notifying folks of a nationwide growing trend of illicit drugs and counterfeit pills that have been “laced” or contaminated with fentanyl. In fact, in 2021 fentanyl was identified in over 70% of adolescent overdose deaths nationally. In LA county specifically, there had already been an increase in fentanyl related overdose deaths prior to the pandemic which has since continued to rise at alarming rates. We, here at HEO, want to bring this concerning news to the attention of our 7C community in hopes of preventing further harm or possible deaths connected to fentanyl. Our goal is to provide some recommended actions to our student body concerning this issue. We also have content located at the HEO office for you to collect and take with you.

So, what do we already know? We are already aware that students aren’t generally seeking out fentanyl. However, students do sometimes seek out other types of pills and drugs which may be contaminated with fentanyl without the student’s knowledge. We want to warn students to be extremely cautious about ingesting any pill or medication which was not prescribed for them, and dispensed to them by a licensed pharmacist. Sometimes, it is easier or tempting to purchase or obtain such drugs from unauthorized sources like a family member or friend, an illegal online platform, or “off the street”. However, these unauthorized sources are associated with the highest risk of fentanyl ingestion and overdose. Simply put, what you “believe” you are getting may not truly be what you are getting, and there very well may be fentanyl mixed in there as well, increasing your risk of an overdose. It’s also important to note that it only takes the smallest amount of fentanyl (two milligrams) to be considered a lethal dose. For your reference: two milligrams is equal to 10-15 grains of table salt.

What does HEO recommend?

Let’s chat about it and possibly explore reasons behind the substance use! HEO has Peer Health Educators available to have a 1 on 1 confidential discussion with you. To be paired with one of your peers, or to have a discussion with the Health Education Outreach Coordinator, come down to HEO during our drop-in hours Monday-Friday from 1pm-6pm, or email HEO@claremont.edu to schedule an appointment.

(Scheduled appointments are available Monday-Friday from 10am-6pm and will be made based on daily availability.)

Health care providers at Student Health Services (SHS) will also be more than happy to speak with you, provide guidance and resources, and if needed, refer you to a treatment facility. SHS can be contacted at (909)621-8222 or visit here for office hours and other appointment information.

The wonderful staff at Monsour Counseling and Psychological Services (MCAPS) are also available for 1 on 1 confidential sessions and can provide further resources. To speak with a licensed counselor at MCAPS, visit here or call (909)621-8202 to schedule an appointment today!

If you prefer around the clock virtual care, you can contact 7C.Health to speak with a licensed counselor in a comfort area of your choice. Choose whatever chatting method works best for you and know that we are all here to support you, our 7C students.

However, if you must, strongly consider using fentanyl testing strips to test substances for the presence of fentanyl prior to using. The strips detect the presence of fentanyl in drug samples and will help you make informed decisions regarding the drugs you are using. Please note that fentanyl testing strips will only detect the presence of fentanyl in the drug sample. It will not detect other harmful substances that may also be present in the drug sample. Nor will it tell you if fentanyl is present in another part of the pill or drug supply which was not tested.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health provided the following resources on where fentanyl testing strips can be purchased:

TACO

Dose Test

Dance Safe

Fentanyl testing strips can also be purchased on Amazon and eBay. Instructions on how to use the testing strips and additional testing strip information can be found here.

It’s important to always have a trusted person with you who can quickly respond in case of an overdose or emergency. This trusted person could be a peer or a friend. It is strongly suggested that you carry an extra supply of naloxone to provide to your trusted person prior to using. Naloxone is used for overdose rescue and is labeled as a “life-saving medication”. It’s easy to use, small to carry, and can reverse an overdose from opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications (for example, Vicodin, Norco, Oxycontin) when given upon immediate suspicion of an overdose.

Please review the “Identifying and Reporting an Overdose” section below to become familiar with what signs to look out for when observing an overdose.

If you are witnessing signs of an overdose, please note that campus safety officers carry naloxone on their person at all times. Campus safety can be contacted at (909) 607-2000, or extension 7-2000 from a campus phone.

More information regarding an organization that focuses on substance use and harm reduction can be found here, or you can call Never Use Alone at (800)-484-3731 to have a volunteer stay on the line with you as you use, in case of an accidental overdose. Never Use Alone is a national overdose prevention call center that acts quickly on your behalf if an overdose is suspected. Remember: “You don’t have to be abstinent to be responsible”.

Identifying and Reporting an Overdose

There are no campus sanctions for students reporting an overdose! You will not be in any trouble if you report an overdose.

  • Limp body
  • Unresponsiveness
  • Small, constricted “pinpoint pupils”
  • Falling asleep or losing consciousness
  • Slow, weak, or no breathing
  • Choking or gurgling sounds
  • Limp body
  • Cold and/or clammy skin
  • Discolored skin (especially in lips and nails)

There is no campus sanctions for students reporting overdosing! You will not be in any trouble if you report an overdose.

  1. Call 911 immediately or reach out to campus safety immediately at (909)607-2000
  2. Administer Naloxone if available: A video reference on how to use naloxone spray can be found here
  3. Try to keep the person awake and breathing
  4. Lay the person on their side to prevent choking
  5. Stay with the person until emergency assistance arrives

  • Obtain a Naloxone Prescription from a Healthcare Provider
  • Local Pharmacies in California may now provide naloxone without a prescription
  • Those who are unable to access naloxone through their primary healthcare provider or via a local pharmacy, can visit a community-based naloxone access point listed here.

Claremont Colleges Campus Safety officers are thoroughly trained and certified to carry and administer Naloxone. The officers carries two doses of Naloxone on their person at all times. Campus Safety’s response time to an overdose report is generally under 3 minutes. For further inquiries or questions regarding campus safety’s response to an overdose report, you can email dispatch@claremont.edu or call (909)607-2000. To learn more about campus safety’s services visit campus safety. Their office is located at the Administrative Campus Center.

4 Important Fentanyl Facts 

  1. Fentanyl is a prescription drug that is offered to patients for the treatment of severe pain or to manage pain after a surgical procedure.
  2. It is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine which is also a prescription drug used for pain management.
  3. Outside of a prescription, fentanyl is being created and sold illegally and is now the most common drug involved in recent drug-related overdose deaths in the U.S.
  4. The illegal form of fentanyl is lab created and could be mixed in with other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and even methamphetamine, making the drugs more prone to cause a fatal reaction. Even pills being distributed for medical health conditions, if not dispensed by a licensed pharmacist, may be contaminated with fentanyl or other harmful drugs. For example, people who can’t obtain a prescription for their ADHD needs or to manage extreme pain may look to obtain these medicines “off the street”, from a family member or a friend, or an illegal online platform but may end up receiving contaminated pills.