Free Harm Reduction Vending Machine Now Available in Langlade County
If you go to a vending machine, it’s usually to get snacks or a drink. But these days you can get life-saving supplies like Narcan at public places. Thanks to the collaboration of several agencies and a grant from the state’s Opioid Settlement Funds, Langlade County residents now have access to free harm reduction supplies via vending machines. The vending machines stock free items such as NARCAN® and other items which include: drug disposal bags, condoms, gun locks, and resource guides.
To access the NARCAN® and other items from the machine, a person simply types in the code next to an item, and the item drops down in the tray below. No money is required, nor is the input of any identifying information.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 70,000 people in the United States died of drug overdoses that involved fentanyl in 2021, almost a four-fold increase over five years. The opioid crisis is large and while we cannot easily solve the crisis with one initiative; cities across the United State and Wisconsin are installing harm reduction vending machines to provide education and the tools needed to keep everyone safe from harm.
NARCAN®, a name-brand version of naloxone, is the only medicine on the market that can reverse an opioid overdose. Especially in its nasal form, NARCAN® is easy and safe to use. It can quickly restore normal breathing to a person if their breathing has slowed or stopped because of an opioid overdose.
The vending machines will be located at the Langlade County Health Service Center - 1225 Langlade Road and at the Langlade County Safety Building 840 Clermont Street in the lobby of both locations.
For more information about the NARCAN® vending machine, read our FAQs and visit our Alcohol Use and Other Drugs page. If you or someone you know is struggling with substance use, contact the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline, a free service that is available 24/7 at 833-944-4673 or visit their website by clicking here.
