Making the medication, used to reverse an opioid overdose, freely available may help reduce the stigma associated with treatment. Retailers love vending machines for the consumer convenience and low overhead. These same attributes are starting to appeal to public health experts looking to reduce rates of opioid-related overdose deaths. In a new study published in the Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment, Rutgers University-New Brunswick drug policy researcher Grant Victor found that by distributing free naloxone – a nasal spray used to reverse or limit the effects of opioids (also known by its brand name Narcan) – via vending machines, county jails could sharply increase the number of doses provided to inmates at release.
“While vending machines won’t replace the warmth and care you get from someone who works in a harm reduction organization, our work suggests they can be cheap, easy and underutilized technology for delivering life-saving medication,” said Victor, an assistant professor in the Rutgers School of Social Work and lead author of the study.
Past research has demonstrated that the risk of experiencing a fatal opioid overdose is highest among people recently released from prison. A 2021 study by Victor found about one in five overdose deaths in a major metropolitan area were attributed to those who had been incarcerated during the previous two years. To read the full story.