U of A Teams Up With Attorney General on One Pill Can Kill Initiative

Photo by Chieko Hara

Attorney General Tim Griffin (left) and Chancellor Charles Robinson

The U of A is joining efforts with Attorney General Tim Griffin for the One Pill Can Kill initiative, a national outreach and educational opportunity to provide greater awareness about fentanyl and fake prescription medications. 

On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Attorney General kicked off his public awareness campaign to help educate, support and empower Arkansans with information on the dangers of fentanyl, how to identify it and what to do if a student or friend is overdosing.

According to provisional data from the Arkansas Department of Health, in 2021, there were 628 drug overdose deaths in Arkansas, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 841,000 people have died in the United States since 1999 from a drug overdose. 

“Fentanyl overdoses are claiming the lives of far too many young Arkansans, and with the support of Attorney General Griffin, the University of Arkansas is fully committed to educating and equipping our community to confront this crisis head-on,” Chancellor Charles Robinson said. “As this initiative expands to colleges and universities throughout the state, its impact will multiply, offering life-saving knowledge and tools to thousands more young Arkansans.”

As part of the initiative, the Substance Education, Assessment and Recovery (SEAR) program, part of Medical Services at Pat Walker Health Center, will conduct an Opioid Overdose Awareness training to approximately 350 students at 5 p.m. in the Arkansas Union Verizon Ballroom. SEAR has held NARCAN (naloxone) training events every month during the fall and spring semesters since the fall of 2022. Those trainings are open to the entire U of A community to teach community members how to administer NARCAN in a fentanyl opioid overdose scenario.

“Fentanyl is a scourge on our society, and it disproportionately impacts our young people. One Pill Can Kill is a multifaceted initiative to help protect college students from the risk of opioid overdose,” Griffin said. “This initiative will be statewide, but we are starting at the University of Arkansas campus here in Fayetteville. I am extremely grateful for the cooperation and support of Chancellor Charles Robinson and university staff. The training and resources offered by the One Pill Can Kill initiative will save lives.”

The Attorney General’s office will also be distributing approximately 3,000 Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits during the launch of the initiative and after, which will be accessible to students on campus. The kits include a fentanyl testing strip, a pair of gloves, a resource card and a pill disposal bag. NARCAN kits are already available throughout the U of A campus, located in each building in accordance with Act 811 of 2023. 

Looking ahead, the Attorney General’s office has provided funding to acquire a Med Kwik vending machine that will supply the remaining Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits and NARCAN to the campus community. The machine will be located in the southeast vestibule of Pat Walker Health Center on the corner of Maple & Garland. 

NARCAN placed in the vending machine will be an over-the-counter nasal spray, and the campus community will be able to access NARCAN from the vending machine by filling out a voucher in the bin attached to the machine. The Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits will be accessed similarly to the NARCAN. The Med Kwik machine will provide the campus community the opportunity to access the Fentanyl Harm Prevention Kits and NARCAN in a private setting. These efforts are vital components of two of the Division of Student Affairs priorities, including student well-being and student success.

For more NARCAN resources and harm prevention information, visit health.uark.edu.

About the Division of Student Affairs: The Division of Student Affairs supports the whole student by cultivating transformative experiences and environments that promote student well-being, sense of community, and success. We prioritize student access, well-being, and belonging, post-graduation success, and building a strong organizational culture.  

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $3 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the few U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research and Economic Development News.