Would you rather squirt naloxone up a victim’s nose or stab a needle?

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In response to the preventable fentanyl-poisoning death of a University of Victoria student, B.C.’s 25 universities and college say they will work together to improve overdose prevention measures on campuses by September.

Post-secondary Minister Lisa Beare made that announcement this week after holding a meeting with the presidents or vice-presidents of the post-secondary institutions to discuss the “heartbreaking” death of Sidney McIntyre-Starko, 18.

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“I know that young people at our post-secondary institutions see themselves and their loved ones in the loss of Sidney,” Beare said in a statement, adding the group is committed to “keep post-secondary students safe on campus.”

A new committee has been created to review measures on campuses, including the distribution of the overdose-reversing drug naloxone, training for how to use it, and the response to medical emergencies. Right now, naloxone accessibility and who to call in an emergency varies widely at universities and colleges.

These promised changes, though, have come only after Postmedia published a story last week revealing the failed medical response to Sidney’s collapse on Jan. 23. Before that, Beare would not answer questions about this case and UVic insisted the situation had been handled properly.

Our story documented how — after Sidney and a friend collapsed — student witnesses immediately called 911 and UVic campus security, whom first-year students were told to contact in an emergency. A 911 call-taker was on the line, and officers had naloxone and were trained in first aid, but the victims didn’t receive the medication for 13 minutes, or chest compressions for 15 minutes.

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By then Sidney’s brain had been starved of oxygen. She didn’t survive.

Earlier this week, Addictions and Mental Health Minister Jennifer Whiteside said in response to demands from Sidney’s parents, that B.C. would buy “tens of thousands” of kits of simple nasal spray naloxone, which is free in some other areas of Canada. Here, the public can only get free naloxone that requires cracking open a glass vial, drawing up the liquid with a syringe, and injecting the victim.

Advocates say more urgency is needed to get the spray variety across the province and at post-secondary campuses because it’s less intimidating for bystanders to use.

“In a time of crisis where, if you witness an overdose and your hands are shaking and you’re anxious, it’s so not user friendly to draw naloxone in a syringe and inject somebody,” said Chloe Goodison, the founder of NaloxHome which educates young people about the toxic drug crisis.

“We’re really pushing for that change in the future to get nasal naloxone, which is so much easier to use, available to students and just the general public, like it is in Ontario.”

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Since 2021, NaloxHome has provided information about the lethal drug supply and overdose first aid to 12,000 Lower Mainland students, primarily in high school but also at the post-secondary level.

Goodison, who is studying public health at Simon Fraser University, said the “just say no to drugs” message is not enough to keep young people safe, especially at a time when they may want to experiment and can be living away from home for the first time.

Society’s double standard of treating drug users more harshly than alcohol drinkers or marijuana smokers is wrong, especially when the illicit supply can be lethal, she added.

“Nasal naloxone should be absolutely everywhere because drug poisoning is the leading cause of death for those aged 10 to 59,” said Goodison, 22.

Whiteside said B.C.’s first batch of nasal naloxone will be available “in a matter of weeks,” but had no details where it would be delivered first or when more supply could be available.

“We are going to learn from best practices in other jurisdictions around how to improve making this life saving tool more available,” Whiteside said.

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That comment is in stark contrast to a May 7 email to Postmedia from her own ministry, sent before last week’s publication of Sidney’s story, which said nasal naloxone was not being considered for B.C.: “Switching to a different delivery mode of naloxone that is less available and more expensive would require a massive retraining effort, which is not being envisioned at the moment.”

A day after Sidney’s story became public, B.C. United critic Elenore Sturko sent a letter to Premier David Eby that said she had been in touch with a nasal naloxone manufacturer who told her they had a significant supply available.

Sturko, a former RCMP officer, wrote it’s a matter of life-and-death to have more widespread access to the nasal variety. “Under stress, fine motor skills can falter, making the use of needles challenging. Nasal naloxone eliminates this barrier, empowering British Columbians to take immediate action when faced with an overdose,” she wrote.

Sidney’s father Ken Starko and her mother Caroline McIntyre, an emergency physician, have pushed for this improvement and many others — which the province appears to also be endorsing — since their daughter’s death.

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“Ontario, Quebec and the Northwest Territories have funded easy-to-use nasal naloxone for years,” says their website, SidneyShouldBeHere.ca, which outlines their calls for change.

“Every young person, their friends, their family, their teachers and their schools and their community centres must have free access to easy-to-use nasal naloxone, not intimidating needle naloxone.”

lculbert@postmedia.com

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