Naloxone, closer to where students live.
Howard students told us they want easier access to naloxone and trained RAs nearby. We designed a 3D-printed case to help make that happen.
The problem
232 people died of opioid overdose in DC in 2025. Over 6,000 more survived one.
The gap
Only 17.4% of Howard dorm students we surveyed knew where to get naloxone.
The fix
A bright red naloxone case in residence halls, with trained RAs to keep it stocked.
AEDs made cardiac arrest something anyone can respond to. We want naloxone to be just as easy to find.
At EcoPrint, we 3D print medical devices for our community. When we surveyed Howard residence hall students, they were clear: they want naloxone easier to get, and they want their RAs trained. Fewer than 1 in 5 knew where to find it today.
That's what this project is about. The case is our first step, and we're building it alongside Howard and learning as we go.
Overdose is a local crisis.
It's happening in our city, it hits some communities much harder, and it can be reversed in minutes.
Nonfatal overdoses nearly doubled from 2021 to 2025. Deaths peaked in 2023 and have come down, but hundreds of people are still dying every year.
Each chart uses its own scale because nonfatal events far outnumber deaths. Source: DC Health opioid overdose dashboard.
From June 2025 through May 2026, 86% of opioid overdose deaths in DC were Black residents, most of them Black men. As an HBCU in the heart of the city, Howard is positioned to lead on equitable, community-centered prevention.
Small counts are suppressed by DC Health for privacy. Sources: DC Health opioid overdose dashboard; Howard University Healthcare.
Naloxone (Narcan) is a nasal spray that reverses an opioid overdose. It gives a bystander the chance to act before emergency help arrives. You don't need medical training to use it.
Know the signs of an opioid overdose:
If you see them: call 911, give naloxone, and stay with the person.
Source: CDC, Stop Overdose: Lifesaving naloxone.
What Howard students told us.
We surveyed 205 students living in Howard residence halls. They know what naloxone is. They don't know where it is.
The top three barriers are location, familiarity, and training. A visible case plus basic education addresses all three.
Students aren't rejecting naloxone. They want it where they live, and they want the people around them trained.
Students who had been trained were far more likely to know what naloxone does and to feel ready to use it. That's why every case comes with training.
An IRB-approved, anonymous survey of students living in Howard University residence halls, conducted in September 2026. We asked about naloxone awareness, recognizing an overdose, knowing where to get naloxone, barriers, confidence, and support for residence hall cases.
More than a box on the wall.
A durable, 3D-printed naloxone case that teaches anyone how to use it, and a simple plan that keeps it stocked.
Tap your phone. Get the steps.
Hold any phone to the front of the case and step-by-step naloxone instructions open instantly. No app needed.
PHONE
HERE
Check for an overdose
Shout their name and rub their breastbone hard. Look for slow or no breathing and blue or gray lips.
Call 911
Say someone is unresponsive and not breathing. Put the phone on speaker and keep going.
Give Narcan
Lay them on their back and tilt the head back. Put the nozzle in one nostril and press the plunger firmly.
Roll them on their side
Put them in the recovery position so they don't choke. Stay with them.
Second dose if needed
No response in 2–3 minutes? Use a new spray in the other nostril. Stay until help arrives.
Steps follow the Narcan nasal spray label and CDC guidance. This demo is for awareness, not a substitute for training.
A window to check it's stockedAnyone walking by can see the naloxone is there without opening it.
Tap your phone to learnAn NFC tag in the door opens step-by-step instructions for giving naloxone.
A refill QR on the backRAs scan it to log each check and refill, so no case sits empty or expired.
Opens in one motionNo key, no ID, no staff member, no questions asked.
Two compartmentsHolds Narcan nasal spray for repeat dosing if the first dose isn't enough.
Window portA clear view inside confirms the case is stocked at a glance.
NFC tag on the frontTap a phone to pull up how to recognize an overdose and give naloxone.
Refill QR on the backUsed only by RAs and staff to log checks and refills.
Hinged door and latchOpens without tools and stays closed until it's needed. No lock.
Keyhole wall mountHangs on a single screw in a visible, high-traffic spot.
Private by designNo one has to identify themselves to use it.
3D printed and reusablePrinted by EcoPrint, so any campus can reproduce it.
The case comes with a playbook, so housing isn't left with an unmanaged box on the wall.
This is still new for us. We're working with Howard's campus health and housing leadership to start with a pilot in residence halls, see what works, and adjust.
Along the way we're writing down the case design, the upkeep routine, and what we learn, so the model could be shared with other campuses later.
Help put naloxone where students live.
PHONE
HERE
Tap the case to look inside