NYC Trials Public Health Vending Machines To Combat Opioid Overdose Epidemic

In order to combat the risk of death by drug overdose, New York City is trialing public health vending machines (PHVMs) across the city. 

These contain the anti-overdose drug naloxone and sterile syringes, alongside other harm reduction and “wellness supplies,” per Insider. Naloxone, often sold under the brand name Narcan, is a drug that has the potential to reverse an opioid overdose, especially by countering decreased breathing. 

The 10 machines will potentially make an appearance in several neighborhoods such as East Harlem, South Bronx, and Union Square. 

Fatal overdoses in the US have taken more than a million lives since 1999. In New York City, just 2020 alone saw 2,062 deaths from unintentional overdoses, the highest recorded rate since reporting began in 2000. 

It was also noted that this number disproportionately affected predominantly Black and Latinx neighborhoods with the highest rates of poverty. 

“Racial equity does not mean simply treating everyone equally, but rather, allocating resources and services in such a way that explicitly addresses barriers imposed by structural racism (i.e. policies and institutional practices that perpetuate racial inequity) and White privilege,” writes the New York request for proposals by the Fund for Public Health.

The Fund for Public Health is a nonprofit organization aiming to make healthcare more accessible by “connecting the NYC Health Department to private sector partners and the greater philanthropic community.”

According to The Hill, this initiative is still currently in the works, with the deadline for submitting PHVM proposals being January 20 and additional funding being announced on January 31. 

New York City is also the first city in the US to have approved supervised sites for the consumption of illegal drugs—another move to combat the number of deaths by overdose.

[via Insider and The Hill, cover image ID 169184110 © Tashatuvango | Dreamstime.com]