Heroin & Opioid Addiction Prevention Policy

I. Scope

This policy applies to all students.

II. Purpose

Sections §11-1201 through §11-1204 of the Education Article of the Annotated Code of Maryland require Maryland institutions of higher education to (1) adopt and implement a policy to prevent heroin and opioid addiction by educating students about addiction and prevention, and (2) maintain and use naloxone and other overdose-reversing medications on campus.

III. Definitions

A. Overdose: A drug overdose is taking too much of a substance, whether it is prescription, over the counter, legal, or illegal. Drug overdoses may be accidental or intentional.

B. Grossly Negligent Act: A lack of care that demonstrates a reckless disregard for the safety or lives of others, which is so great that it appears to be a conscious violation of other people’s rights to safety. It is more than a simple inadvertence and can affect the amount of damage.

IV. Procedures

A. Education

  1. All incoming full-time undergraduate students must participate in heroin and opioid addiction and prevention awareness training. The Director of Student Health and Wellness or their designee facilitates training for the undergraduate students during new student orientation or the First-Year Experience course. The training shall be held inperson, unless in-person training is impracticable, in which case the training will be held electronically. Additionally, all full-time undergraduate students are required to complete an online substance use module during their first semester enrolled at Goucher.
  2. All incoming full-time graduate students, including students in the postbaccalaureate premedical program, are required to complete an online substance use module during their first semester enrolled at Goucher.
  3. The College provides resources to all students, including part-time students, educating them about heroin and opioid addiction and prevention.

B. Overdose reversing medication

Goucher’s Office of Campus Safety and the Student Health Center maintain an easily accessible supply of overdose-reversing medication for use in the case of emergencies. In addition, Campus Safety advisors and other designated personnel are trained to: (1) recognize the symptoms of opioid overdose, (2) implement recommended procedures for administering overdose-reversing medication. and (3) provide proper follow-up emergency procedures.

C. Reporting

The College reports to the Maryland Higher Education Commission on or before October 1st of each year any incident at the College that required the use of opioid overdose reversing medication. The Director of Campus Safety is responsible for submitting the report.

V. Liability

Pursuant to Section 11-1203(b) of the Education Article, except for any willful or grossly negligent act, campus security advisors or other designated personnel trained as provided above and who respond in good faith to the overdose emergency of a student in accordance with this policy, may not be held personally liable for any act or omission in the course of responding to the emergency.

Also, Maryland’s Good Samaritan Law (Md. COURTS AND JUDICIAL PROCEEDINGS, Code Ann. § 5-603) provides that a member of the public cannot be held civilly liable for any act or omission when providing assistance or medical aid at the scene of an emergency if the aid is rendered in a “reasonably prudent manner,” and provided without the expectation of a fee or other compensation. The individual must also relinquish care to a certified first responder when they arrive.

Finally, the Medical Amnesty Policy are laws or policies enacted to protect from liability those who seek medical attention as a result of illegal actions. Maryland law protects people who seek, provide, assist, or receive assistance in an emergency overdose situation from arrest and prosecution for certain crimes if the evidence for the arrest charge or prosecution was obtained solely as a result of the person seeking or receiving medical assistance. (Md. CRIMINAL PROCEDURE Code Ann. § 1-210). This immunity applies to crimes including:

  • Possession of a controlled dangerous substance
  • Possession or use of drug paraphernalia
  • Providing alcohol to minors

VI. Resources/FAQ

For additional information, see Goucher's Medical Amnesty policy (PDF).

VII. Responsible office

For more information or if you have questions about this policy, please contact:

VIII. History

Adopted: August 2018

Updated: April 2023

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