RALEIGH, N.C. — N.C. State University students and staff used Tuesday as a day of rest and a day to promote good mental health. This comes after the campus saw several deaths in recent years, including seven student suicides last year.

That’s when a wellness day was created as a biannual event to celebrate the well-being of N.C. State students, faculty and staff.

What You Need To Know

  • Wellness days began in the fall semester 2022 at N.C. State University

  • Wellness days are scheduled in the academic calendar for the next two years

  • There have been four student deaths in the 2023-24 academic year (August 2023 to present); three were suicides

N.C. State students Naila Din and Alyssa Price showed people how to administer Narcan on Tuesday. They also told them how to identify signs of an opioid or alcohol overdose.

“I mean difference is the eyes. You can always tell whether eyes with opioid overdose, they have pinpoint eyes, whereas with alcohol poisoning, you have more dilated, bigger eyes,” said Din. 

This is all a part of N.C. State’s harm reduction initiative, started in 2022.

In 2023, the Food and Drug Administration approved Naloxone nasal spray as the first over-the-counter, nonprescription treatment to reverse an opioid overdose. 

Din says that was a game-changer for some college students who tend to party.

“Having this available to students for free as opposed to the $45 that people can purchase it around the area. I think it is very important for people to get the knowledge alongside free Narcan. Just so you are more equipped,” said Din.

Price says for the last year she’s been working with Din on campus legislation to have Narcan and first aid training on campus.

“We have really been involved with the opioid epidemic on college campuses. The past year I had a really good friend that died due to the suicides, and I really wanted to spread awareness of mental health,” said Price. 

When it comes to Tuesday’s wellness day and overdose prevention kit giveaway, Price says it’s all about saving a life. 

“You just grab the Narcan, it's two minutes. You can save a life. You can also have it on you even if you don't use drugs in general,” said Price.  

N.C. State’s prevention services provides the overdose prevention kits.  

To be clear, Price says the duo isn’t targeting those who do drugs. Instead, they are just trying to prevent accidents.

“It's not, 'hey, I'm using drugs.' It's 'hey, what if this happened to me?'” Price said.