ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, Md. — As the opioid epidemic continues to impact families across the country, Anne Arundel is working towards saving lives with several vending machines with medicine to help.
The Anne Arundel County Department of Health has installed seven vending machines which are stocked with free life-saving medication naloxone, also known as Narcan. When given in time, Narcan can potentially reverse an overdose from opioids including heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medications.
In addition, the machines will also offer free fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips, masks and COVID-19 tests.
“These locations across the county were thoughtfully selected to reduce barriers to essential, lifesaving tools,” said Dr. Tonii Gedin, Anne Arundel County Health Officer. “We are hopeful this evidence-based strategy of harm reduction will change the narrative and prevent death from overdose. By making fentanyl test strips, naloxone nasal spray, and other critical harm reduction supplies free and available without stigma, we can drive down the injury and harm from opioid overdoses in our community.”
The seven locations, which were selected after reviewing data showing the areas with the highest levels of overdose as well as foot traffic and accessibility, areas followed:
- Brooklyn Park Library - 1 E 11th Avenue, Baltimore, MD
- Deale Library - 5940 Deale Churchton Road, Deale, MD
- Eastport Community Center - 1014 President Street, Annapolis, MD
- Jennifer Road Detention Center - 131 Jennifer Road, Annapolis, MD
- Severn Center - 1160A Reece Road, Severn, MD
- Ordnance Road Correctional Center - 600 E Ordnance Road, Glen Burnie, MD
- Glen Burnie Health Center - 416 A Street SW, Glen Burnie, MD - coming soon
- *Health Services Building - 3 Harry S. Truman Parkway - Annapolis, MD
- *A temporary location while the Glen Burnie Health Center is under construction
The vending machines allow people to access the drug without interacting with anyone else, potentially bypassing the stigma of reaching out for help. The goal, organizers say, is that by conveniently providing Narcan at no cost, it will encourage all people, whether they use substances or not, to carry the lifesaving drug.
“The opioid epidemic tragically claims countless lives and devastates families across our nation and county,” said Anne Arundel County Fire Chief Trisha Wolford. “As first responders, our duty is to respond to emergencies and proactively find solutions through partnerships and prevention. Saving lives is always the Fire Department’s number one priority. We are proud to partner with the Department of Health to assist in accessible opioid interventions. Equipping our community with preventive tools empowers individuals for early intervention in overdose situations with the hopes of saving more lives.”
Watch Next: How to administer Narcan during an overdose
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