Auburn fraternities take steps to enhance campus safety

Auburn University’s fraternities have taken a significant step towards ensuring the safety and well-being of their members and the broader campus community by installing Narcan cabinets in fraternity houses. This initiative, launched in summer 2024 and completed in November, saw 19 chapters commit to having Narcan readily available in their facilities.

Narcan, a life-saving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses, is now accessible in fraternity houses, thanks to the collaborative efforts of Student Affairs, the Student Government Association (SGA) and the Interfraternity Council (IFC). This initiative is part of a broader effort led by SGA to place Narcan in prominent locations across campus. Installations across campus can be found near AED stations or on emergency “blue light” towers. Fraternities will have the ability to request refills for their cabinets at any time through the Greek Life Office.

Greg Peden, Auburn's executive director of clinical health services, emphasized the importance of having Narcan readily available.

“Having naloxone [Narcan] available where people live and work is incredibly important to be able to reverse opioid overdoses in a timely manner where every minute counts," he said. "I’m proud of the leadership shown on campus by SGA, IFC and others to push this initiative forward. Hopefully, an overdose never occurs, but if it does, having naloxone readily available may potentially save someone’s life.”

The commitment of these 19 fraternity chapters demonstrates their member’s understanding of the importance of proactiveness when being prepared for emergencies. By participating in this initiative, these fraternities are demonstrating their dedication to the health and safety of their members and the entire university community.