Chapter of the Week: George Washington University

End Overdose's chapter program is vital to our success in equipping young people with lifesaving education and resources. In cities and on college campuses, we trust them to spread the word through a true peer-to-peer model. Our members and volunteers are committing endless hours to End Overdose's cause, so we want to highlight a chapter every week.

Today, we're proud to highlight our GWU chapter! We spoke with chapter president Chetana Suvarna about the highlights of her efforts to date, her vision for the future of End Overdose on the GWU campus, and much more.

What sparked your interest in overdose prevention/response and End Overdose in particular?

My team and I became interested in overdose prevention and response through our experiences witnessing overdoses in emergent clinical settings. Personally, working as an EMT in rural Virginia opened my eyes to the reality of limited access to addiction treatment and how this lack of resources perpetuates the opioid epidemic in vulnerable populations. Seeing firsthand the impact of substance use disorder on patients, their loved ones, and entire communities drove me to become involved in advocacy work. I joined End Overdose because its mission to educate communities on overdose prevention, reduce stigma, and increase access to naloxone strongly resonated with my experiences and values.

Can you describe your experience as the chapter president?

My role as chapter president reflects the combined work of my leadership team and former leadership. Being in this role has allowed me to connect with individuals from all backgrounds, eager to learn about overdose prevention and those who have personally felt the impact of addiction.

What are the major highlights from your chapter’s work to date?

A few of our major highlights include the various boothing events around the city, such as Mobilize Recovery at Georgetown University. We also had the privilege of teaching a long-form training to the third-year medical school class as part of their opioid addiction curriculum. Furthermore, we did a monthly Narcan distribution at the Bread for the City food market.

What do you envision for the future of your chapter?

Looking ahead, we hope to expand our reach across other schools within GWU, including the School of Public Health and the undergraduate campus. We also aim to build stronger partnerships with local organizations to further promote health literacy and community education around overdose prevention and harm reduction throughout the city.