Fentanyl Overdose Prevention and a Bit of Kindness

In 2024, there were 276 deaths from drug overdose in Spokane County, according to the Spokane Regional Health District. Of those, 84% were from opioid painkillers and heroin, mostly from fentanyl.   

One of the programs the Health District provides is Syringe Services, exchanging used syringes for new ones, along with other risk-reduction supplies, to help lower the risk of HIV and transmission of other diseases. Sam Carroll, the program’s manager, says many of the people they serve have not had a good relationship with the medical community, so a positive encounter is critical in the case that other health needs arise. Additionally, she says, studies have shown that people engaging in syringe services also accept other health services and are more likely to move into treatment programs. 

That’s why outreach workers are a critical part of the solution, providing people with information on overdose prevention, safe injection practices, referrals to treatment services and offering Naloxone (or Narcan) for those at the highest risk of opioid overdose.  

“We get a lot of student volunteers who are short-term, but not a lot of adults outside school,” Carroll says.   

There is one exception though. Matt Lumsden. 

“He’s the longest volunteer we’ve ever had,” says Carroll.  

Serving the Underserved 

When Matt Lumsden (’21) came to Gonzaga University in 2018 as a biology major, he knew he wanted to go into a medical field, but not necessarily be a doctor. His mom was a physician assistant who specialized in HIV and AIDS care, and that, no doubt, had some influence.  

“I was interested in perhaps pharmacy school, because I like trying to figure out how medications affect people and how we come up with meds that can help with diseases,” he says. “Those are some amazing achievements of humanity.” 

Lumsden wanted to couple that intrigue with “a human component,” and set out to find a volunteer experience that would add to a holistic education. He doesn’t recall how exactly he landed at the Spokane Regional Health District, but he started volunteering with Syringe Services in 2021 and didn’t stop, until this March when he moved to Seattle.  

“The main goal is to decrease diseases spread through needles, to give out Narcan, and also to rebuild some trust and openness with clients,” he says.  

The experience inspired Lumsden to apply to medical school, and also influenced him to pursue that training here in Spokane at the University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM).  

“UW, very similar to Gonzaga, offered a very service-based program,” he says.  

The UW-GU Health Partnership was formed in 2016 to improve health in the region by transforming medical education, research and innovation.  As part of the Health Partnership,  medical students and undergraduate students share lab spaces and some common faculty members – Lumsden met medical student Emma Cremeen, who was heavily involved in community service, and supported him in expanding the distribution of Narcan.  

Carroll, from the Health District, connected Lumsden to the Washington State Department of Health, which provides supplies to people like these medical students who are in the community and have insight into where Narcan distribution is most needed. 

“With her connection, we got a running grant for 50 doses of nasal Narcan each month, and with a few more students, have been independently giving out Narcan to people who really need it,” Lumsden says.  

“Getting a grant like this is a big deal, and then all the work and coordination that goes into sustaining it, especially as a busy medical student, demonstrates a huge commitment,” says Darryl Potyk, associate dean for UWSOM in eastern Washington and chief of medical education for the UW-GU Health Partnership.  

Life Lessons 

“I’ve gained a unique skill in talking to people and being nonjudgmental,” he says. “I didn’t necessarily see that this was happening, but it’s so important in health care.” 

While this concept is taught in the classroom in UW School of Medicine courses, it’s difficult to grasp without real-world experience.   

Given the stereotypes of a drug user, being nonjudgmental can be tough. “Everybody has this implicit bias,” Lumsden says.  

He recalls a time talking with a man who shared that he wasn’t using heroin because of an addiction or craving, but he had a late-stage cancer and without family or friends in the community, was afraid to go through treatments alone and began using opioids to cope with the pain.  

Lumsden has more example of encounters that made him question his own preconceived notions about the cycles of abuse. There are those who one might expect to be a user based on appearances and there are the guys in business suits who don’t fit the mold, he shares.  

“That was a lesson I learned pretty quickly."

It’s no surprise that Carroll says he’s part of her outreach team family. “He’s really good with our clients and he knows a lot about the program. I just can't say enough good about him.” 

Potyk adds, “Matt is such a quiet and humble person, but his involvement in this program speaks to his initiative, his kindness and a true desire to help others by meeting them where they are.” 

With his textbook education at UWSOM complete, Lumsden is beginning the clinical phase of his education, starting with an internal medicine rotation in Seattle’s Harborview Medical Center. No doubt, lessons learned on the streets in Spokane will stick with him.  

Before leaving Spokane, he and friends had distributed more than 400 doses of Narcan.  

“I hope providing this vital resource to community members helps decrease opioid overdose deaths in Spokane,” he says.  

Knowledge + Compassion  

Carroll says that over the past five years, there has been a significant decline in clientele in the syringe exchange program, because many people are smoking fentanyl instead of injecting it. She would like to see the syringe team be able to distribute clean smoking supplies.  

She’s quick to clarify: “This isn’t about enabling drug abuse. This is disease prevention.” 

"The fentanyl crisis is a public health emergency deeply impacting our community in many direct and indirect ways,” adds Robin Pickering, professor and chair of the public health department in Gonzaga’s School of Health Sciences. “Evidence-based harm reduction strategies, such as naloxone distribution and syringe services, are critical tools not only for preventing overdose deaths but also for building trust and creating entry points to treatment and support.” 

Pickering adds: “Drug use does not exist in isolation; it is connected to housing insecurity, mental health needs, poverty, and broader health inequities. Strengthening our community requires a public health approach that meets people where they are and addresses these interconnected challenges with compassion and science.” 

You can view additional data from the County’s opioid dashboard here.