Opioid Awareness
Opioids such as heroin and fentanyl have become more prevalent in the Bangor/Orono area in recent years, and fentanyl has been found mixed in with other illicit drugs that some take recreationally. Being educated about the dangers and knowing how to lower risk factors is key to staying safe and keeping others protected. Please use caution when making choices and focus on harm-reduction strategies when deciding to take risks. It is imperative for everyone to be educated and prepared for unexpected situations such as an overdose when dealing with unexplored substances. Naloxone (Narcan) is a product that, if used correctly, can reverse an opioid overdose. UMaine has an online training through which you can obtain information and Narcan at the Community First Responder program at UMaine Cooperative Extension.
While most people on a college campus are not purposefully engaging with fentanyl, there are many products that have been found to contain the drug such as cocaine or counterfeit pills that are advertised as Adderall, Percocet, Oxycodone, or Xanax. A lethal dose of fentanyl is incredibly small and can easily escape detection.
Fentanyl Testing Strips
Because of cross-contamination of Fentanyl in different products in the area, we distribute Fentanyl Test Strips made possible by generous support from the Alton ’38 and Adelaide Hamm Campus Activity Fund. These strips will make testing for fentanyl extremely easy and accessible in a variety of situations.
These strips are available outside of the Student Wellness Resource Center and are a good way to test any substance for the presence of fentanyl. It is important to note that they are to be used as a precaution and do not have the ability to detect fentanyl in large amounts of product; one portion of a drug may contain fentanyl while another may not.