New York Unveils Naloxone Vending Machine in Fight Against Overdose Crisis

The life-saving drug naloxone can now be accessed in New York City via a convenient vending machine.

The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene unveiled the city's first public health vending machine, which will provide naloxone for use in accidental overdoses.

The vending machines also carry toiletries as well as safer sex kits.

"Public health vending machines are an innovative, low-barrier strategy to reduce stigma and reach New Yorkers who may not already be connected to harm reduction services," reads a statement on the first vending machine, located in Brooklyn.

More machines will be made available in the other boroughs by the end of the year.

"Similar machines in the United States, Europe, and Australia have demonstrated success at reducing rates of overdose and infectious disease," the statement explains.

To access the free materials inside the machine, residents need only enter their zip code.

It comes at a critical time: overdose deaths in New York City have reached their highest levels ever.

In 2021, there were 2,668 overdose deaths in New York City, compared with 2,103 in 2020.

In 2021, 84-percent of those overdose deaths involved an opioid — mostly, fentanyl.

There were 1,370 confirmed overdose deaths in the first half of 2022.

"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 New York City,” said Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan.

"We will continue to fight to keep our neighbors and loved ones alive with care, compassion and action," Vasan continued. "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."