University of North Texas 
As drug overdose deaths in Texas continue to climb, the University of North Texas is taking a stand. On Overdose Awareness Day, UNT’s Recovery and Intervention Support and Education Center (RISE) brought together local resources to raise awareness and offer support.
“Our message is simple: you belong here, and you’re not alone,” explains Regan Browne, director of the RISE Center. “Every conversation about overdose awareness and recovery brings us closer to a campus culture built on empathy, understanding, and care.”
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, almost 4,800 deaths last year in Texas have been associated with unintentional drug poisoning, including deaths from opioids, fentanyl and other substances. These numbers reflect an upward trend in overdose fatalities across the state.
The RISE Center’s Overdose Awareness Day event featured more than 40 organizations, including over 20 UNT departments and student groups, along with local counseling practices, Narcan educators, treatment centers and the Denton County Drug Court Treatment Program. Community partners included the Sante Center for Healing, University Behavioral Health of Denton, WellCulture Counseling, MHMR of Tarrant County and North Texas IOAD.
Attendees received educational materials including overdose response instructions, mental health resources and treatment navigation tools, as well as free Narcan kits. Easily administered, Narcan, or naloxone, reverses opioid overdoses safely and with no side effects.
“Having Narcan on campus is about protecting life, not labelling people. It’s one more way we look out for each other as a community. We want to give as many presentations around campus as possible to discuss bystander laws, which protect students in the midst of an overdose crisis,” she says.
The event was well attended and showed just how much UNT students care about their campus community and each other. Several student organization leaders used the opportunity to ask if the RISE Center could present to their groups, further raising awareness across campus.
“Overdose Awareness Day connects to our mission of helping students thrive physically, emotionally and socially,” Browne says. “We want students to walk away feeling more informed about how overdoses can be prevented, how to respond in an emergency, and how to support peers who may be struggling. But more than that, we hope this event helps normalize talking about substance use and mental health on campus. Recovery is possible, help is available and lives matter.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse or seeking support for recovery, contact the UNT RISE Center at 940-565-3177 or email RISECenter@unt.edu.