Efficacy of a Gamified Digital Platform for Substance Use Education and Overdose Prevention Among College Students: a Pilot and Feasibility Study

The study evaluated the efficacy of the DopaGE Portal, a gamified digital platform designed to educate college students about drug overdose prevention. Between 2018-2024, fentanyl was involved in 78.2% of 44,020 fatal overdoses among young adults aged 18-25. The research included 42 college students who completed a program covering cocaine, MDMA, benzodiazepines, and opioid overdose response. Self-efficacy increased from 2.82 to 4.46 points and behavioral intentions from 4.24 to 4.81 points. Knowledge improved by 31 to 41 percentage points. In the two months following platform deployment, 38 naloxone kits were distributed on campus compared to 14 in the preceding two years. All participants rated the program positively with no negative evaluations.