On Monday, health officials in New York City introduced the city’s inaugural public health vending machine offering free drug paraphernalia and anti-overdose medications to individuals struggling with addiction, Fox News reported.
A large blue vending machine was installed in Brooklyn on Monday, aimed at providing essential support to individuals who have experienced opioid overdoses. The machine offers Naloxone, a potentially life-saving medication, along with instructions on its proper usage.
In addition to snacks and sodas, this unique vending machine provides hygiene kits and safe sex kits to individuals residing within New York City ZIP codes, the network added.
Officials in the Big Apple claim that similar machines in the U.S., Europe, and Australia have shown they are effective at curbing overdose rates as well as the spread of infectious diseases.
“We are in the midst of an overdose crisis in our city, which is taking a fellow New Yorker from us every three hours and is a major cause of falling life expectancy in NYC,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan in a statement. “But we will continue to fight to keep our neighbors and loved ones alive with care, compassion and action.
“Public health vending machines are an innovative way to meet people where they are and to put life-saving tools like Naloxone in their hands. We’ll leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trends in opioid-related deaths in our city,” he added.
The machines come at a time of crisis in the city.
In 2021, the city recorded 2,668 overdose deaths, a notable increase from the 2,103 deaths reported in 2020. Shockingly, opioids were involved in 84 percent of these overdose cases. The NYC Department of Health has also said that fentanyl, an extremely dangerous synthetic opioid, played a role in 80 pecent of all overdose deaths, further highlighting the severity of the crisis.
“Officials said there were 1,370 confirmed overdose deaths in the first half of 2022. They estimate 2022 will be the deadliest year on record for overdoses if that trend continues,” Fox News noted.
According to officials, the vending machine in Brooklyn is the initial installment of a series of four machines planned for neighborhoods that have been disproportionately impacted by the opioid crisis.
The vending machine initiative is being carried out in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Serving the Underserved, which will host and manage the machines.
“This public health vending machine will be a game-changer for this part of East Brooklyn. With it, we can provide free and easy access to life-saving tools that prevent overdoses, infections, and other health risks associated with substance use. The machine also provides essential items that can improve the quality of life of all New Yorkers, regardless of their income, insurance or housing status,” Perry Perlmutter, interim president and CEO at Services for the UnderServed, told Fox News.
“By installing machines like this one in strategic locations, we are fulfilling our commitment to reducing harm, promoting wellness, and supporting recovery for our most vulnerable communities.”
Experts have said a better approach to curbing drug use is by educating youth about the dangers of using — not by providing them more products.
