By Ana Brown

The opioid goes beyond preventative measures. Overdose deaths are still a major public health concern, and the combined effort of these programs and stories highlights both the risk and the solution to the overdose epidemic. There are several initiatives to combat the opioid crisis, including increased fentanyl awareness, expanded access to Narcan, and a variety of approaches to pain management. Partnerships and programs with Drug-Free Duval highlight strategic prevention as an effective approach to reversing drug abuse on college campuses.  The Pain Assessment and Management Initiative promote non-opioid and non-pharmacological treatments in clinical settings. The goal of pain educators is to improve pain outcomes and reduce risk. These strategies reduce stigma, enhance awareness, and support collaborative care between patients.

Fentanyl Awareness

The Lilli’s Light Foundation is a nonprofit founded by Wendy Parrish helping other families avoid the loss her family went through.  Throughout Lilli Pease’s story, it is demonstrated how devastating fentanyl poisoning can be for anyone. As her niece and goddaughter, Pease was the first grandchild in the family.Parrish said Pease was “sweet, fun, and sassy and very empathic.” She was a high school senior in June 2016.In August, Pease and over 20 of her classmates attended a graduation party. That’s when Pease died, found unresponsive at 1 a.m.According to Parrish, medical examiners determined Pease died from a fatal dose of fentanyl. Parrish said the death was completely unexpected since Lilli had never taken drugs or struggled with addiction.

“Our family has suffered a lot. She was the center of our universe.” “Instead of accepting this reality, I just wanted to sit on my bathroom floor and cry.” Parrish said fentanyl has no taste or scent, and it is hidden in other substances. “You can’t think it’s not my child because those days are gone.” There’s a direct line between mental health and taking a substance; you might not normally find someone you can talk to, Parrish said.

Narcan Training

Naloxone is a life-saving medication that can reverse an overdose from opioids, including heroin, fentanyl, and prescription opioid medications, when given in time, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Housing and Residence Life partnered with Drug Free Duval to offer free naloxone (Narcan) training. At the end of the training session, students received Narcan kits. Amy Lorenz is the director of Housing and Residence Life at the University of North Florida. She requested Drug-Free Duval join students on campus to provide Narcan training. Lorenz said having Narcan available on campus is an accessible option for students and their peers. Students learn about opioids, the dangers of opioids, and how Narcan works. Each student leaves with a kit, she said.

According to Lorenz, Drug Free Duval shares information about opioid use in the United States, specifically in Duval County. Lorenz said, “One of the great things that happened is that overdoses go down with education, information, and more accessibility to training.”

Drug-Free Duval uses a process called the “Strategic Prevention Framework.” According to the organization, the framework uses qualitative and quantitative data and implements a wide swath of environmental strategies for community health.

Pain Assessment and Management Initiative

Leighton Cleveland, a clinical research coordinator, and Sally Feeney, an education and training specialist, are pain coach educators with the PAMI program at the University of Florida Health.  In this program, doctors and pain coach educators work together to find the best pain management methods for each patient. Their goal is to give patients the tools they need to manage pain throughout their journey. Feeney said this often starts with healthcare professional recommending non-drug approaches to determine what works best for each person.

The team encourages patients to try free techniques like deep breathing, meditation, and journaling. Feeney said their job is to help patients who want to avoid opioids, whether because of addiction risk or personal choice, find non-drug options that fit their lives. Cleveland said, “It doesn’t really mean you’re broken. With guidance, your body can heal and become stronger, improving function, reducing pain, and not carrying dependence risk.”

The Pain Assessment and Management Initiative supports these strategies by promoting new and safe approaches in pain education, patient care, and research. The PAMI team, according to their website, works to include non-drug and non-opioid methods to help patients manage pain and lower the risk of opioid use. They focus on groups like older adults, people with health disparities, and those at risk for substance use. Cleveland said, “People with substance use disorder or opioid use disorder expect to be stigmatized, and that’s really what our program tries to work against.”**

***Ana Brown is a senior at the University of North Florida, set to graduate in Spring 2026 with a Bachelor of Science in Communication, concentrating in Multimedia Journalism.