Fifteen students and staff members Wednesday earned their certification to administer a nasal spray that can stop the effects of an opioid overdose.

Registered nurse Stephanie Jenkins demonstrated how to use Naloxone, also known as Narcan, by spraying it into the nostrils of a mannequin.

“Of course you take the class and it’s all theoretical until you’re actually in that situation, but Stephanie’s really great about giving us that experience and explaining it really well,” first-year nursing student Katey Hamilton said. Hamilton assisted Jenkins in the demonstration.

Participants, now equipped with two doses of the medicine, can administer Naloxone into the nasal cavity of anyone suffering from an overdose.

The FDA-approved rescue medication attaches itself to receptors in the brain that have been activated by opioids. One dose can block the opioid by deactivating the receptors, so breathing can resume normally.

“September, it’s National Recovery Month and we really wanted to do something to talk about harm-reduction techniques,” Jenkins explained. “Having Naloxone is a skill that is saving lives, so why not be able to provide that to our students and staff?”

Reymark Catot, a student worker in the English language learning program, said Narcan is expensive, so he appreciated getting the two free doses to take away from the training.

“I’ve always wanted to carry around Narcan, but, like, it’s very expensive.”

Buying Naloxone over the counter costs around $50, and multiple doses might be needed in extreme cases.

Opioid overdose prevention training is available in person and online from the Health and Wellness Center.