In 2023, Charlottesville reported eight opioid-related deaths, equating to a rate of 17.0 per 100,000 residents — which is markedly higher than opioid death rates in other Virginia college towns. For example, Harrisonburg City, where James Madison University is located, has a rate of 11.3 per 100,000 and Montgomery County, home to Virginia Tech, has a rate of 12.2 per 100,000. These statistics clearly show that Charlottesville, as a community, must do more to address the impacts of opioids. Specifically, the University which has one of the largest health systems in Virginia, holds a responsibility to lead efforts in community prevention and recovery from opioid use.
It is worth remembering that opioid-related deaths in these college towns are not solely linked to university students — these statistics speak to the impact of the opioid crisis on broader communities. As such, addressing this opioid crisis requires two distinct approaches from the University — a student side focusing on peer-to-peer education, and a community side prioritizing harm reduction and expanded access to treatment services. While the University already provides some resources such as the REVIVE! training program, it must expand these offerings beyond its students to ensure the wider community has access to necessary support.
The University plays a role, albeit often unintentional, in worsening the degree of substance, both in its student community and within the broader Charlottesville community. College towns face higher rates of substance misuse than average, influenced by the pressures of academic life and social dynamics which primarily affect students. These dynamics perpetuate misuse and lead students to turn to substances such as opioids — and not seek help due to community stigma. Separately, the University’s economic impact on Charlottesville, such as rising housing costs and financial pressures, increases stress within the community. Such macrocosmic economic factors make residents more vulnerable to substance misuse. Due to the impact that the University has on the student population and in the Charlottesville community, the University must take steps to ensure accessibility of prevention resources on and off Grounds — promoting a culture of recovery and support.
There are several steps the University can and should take to improve this preventative culture for students. Firstly, the University can reduce the effects of overdoses by adopting naloxone distribution programs similar to those at California colleges. These colleges operate under the Campus Opioid Safety Act, which requires health centers to stock Narcan and educate students on its use. Naloxone, sold under the brand name Narcan, is an opioid overdose reversal drug that has a 95 percent success rate in reversing overdoses and saving lives. These programs certainly boost community confidence in their ability to respond to overdoses. However, naloxone is only effective if it is widely accessible. Currently, programs on Grounds like REVIVE! train interested individuals to administer and distribute Narcan. Nevertheless, Narcan is not readily available in any location on Grounds, nor is it provided to Resident Advisors. The University should expand naloxone availability across Grounds — especially inside dorms — to ensure quick access in case of an overdose.
To further combat opioid misuse among students, the University must focus on reducing stigma surrounding it. Lowering stigma encourages individuals to seek help more readily without the fear of judgement. For example, required peer-to-peer training can effectively lower stigma by improving communication and fostering open conversations about substance use among students. Additionally, overdose emergency training should be more thoroughly advertised to the student community. When individuals feel comfortable discussing opioid misuse without the threat of judgment, and when students are adequately trained to understand opioid misuse, an inclusive environment is created which facilitates prevention and recovery.
Due to the University’s effects on the broader Charlottesville community, effects which can contribute to worsening substance misuse, the University must also work to address substance misuse in Charlottesville. The University has already made strides in implementing other types of measures geared toward the community, to help with prevention, including their Office of Pain Management and Opioid Stewardship and Enhanced Recovery After Surgery protocols. The OPMOS works to expand opioid education, treatment strategies and community collaboration. ERAS is a protocol focused on minimizing recovery time and opioid use after surgeries, especially since overprescription increases the opioid crisis. Initiatives like this are proactive solutions to drug addiction within the Charlottesville community.
Given the benefits of these solutions, the expansion of such programs should be prioritized in bridging the gap between University resources and the broader community. But the University should not just stop there. Current community-based initiatives like the street medicine, access, reduction and treatment initiative — which U.Va. Health has undertaken in partnership with The Haven — can make a tangible difference in the community by providing treatment and support at shelters. The University should expand initiatives like these in order to make a more significant impact on the opioid crisis throughout Charlottesville. Both community partnerships and support programs must play a pivotal role in addressing opioid misuse before it begins.
Addiction crises should be understood as communal, rather than individual. The University must address opioid misuse by collaborating with the Charlottesville community to enhance prevention efforts, increase student awareness and expand access to recovery resources. With increased efforts by the University, we can expect to see a reduction in the opioid crisis in Charlottesville and a beneficial increase in open discussion of substance use recovery.
Gayathri Kavitha is an opinion columnist who writes about health, technology and environment for The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at opinion@cavalierdaily.com.
The opinions expressed in this column are not necessarily those of The Cavalier Daily. Columns represent the views of the authors alone.
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