MINNEAPOLIS – A new vending machine in Minneapolis offers a life-saving product instead of pop or candy. Located outside Fire Station 21, this machine dispenses Narcan, a medication that can reverse potentially deadly opioid overdoses. Each box contains two free doses of Narcan, which works by blocking the effects of opioids on the nervous system. For it to be effective, it must be administered as soon as an overdose is suspected.
“The opioid epidemic has impacted every community across the country, and in Minneapolis, we’re making sure we can use every tool possible to support opioid prevention, treatment, and recovery,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey in a Facebook post.
Minneapolis isn’t the first city to install a Narcan vending machine. As Emily’s Hope first reported last year, Washington D.C. has several machines that not only provide Narcan but also fentanyl test strips. Emily’s Hope has also installed a free Narcan dispenser box in downtown Sioux Falls, inside the Jones421 building.
According to the latest estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 106,000 Americans have died from illicit drug use over the past year.