As the one-year anniversary approaches of the introduction of Narcan vending machines in King County, officials are touting what they claim is its success.
Vending machines dispense Narcan spray to be used for overdoses
At a cost of just over $10K per unit, King County began installing vending machines (climate controlled, no less) at certain locations in the county that would dispense, for free, Narcan overdose kits as well as Fentanyl test strips.
According to a King County report, it appears the program cost anywhere from $1.5 to $3 million dollars, but county officials say it’s been a success.
According to King County Health officials and MyNorthwest.com, at least 13K Narcan kits have been dispensed since last April. Narcan, whose real name is Naloxone, is the most widely used antidote to counter drug overdoses, including Fentanyl.
The FDA has recently approved Narcan for over-the-counter sale, making it the first such antidote to be available without a prescription.
On an ironically related note, The city of Tacoma has recently installed a Narcan vending machine in the largest branch of the Tacoma Public Library. Apparently, library staff has been equipped with Narcan emergency kits since 2018.
Goosebumps and other bodily reactions, explained