Memphis news: Fighting overdose deaths with a vending machine

Memphis, Tennessee television news station Action News 5 recently highlighted the harm reduction vending machine program run by Cincinnati nonprofit Caracole in partnership with the University of Cincinnati.

The machine provides an anonymous way for anyone in the community to access free supplies including naloxone, the drug that can be used to reverse an overdose, safe injection kits, safe smoking kits and more.

"We do not believe that providing supplies to keep people safe, to keep people from overdosing and to keep people from contracting infectious diseases, enables them in any way,” said Suzanne Bachmeyer, Caracole director of prevention.

Since its implementation, naloxone from the machine has been used more than 1,100 times to reverse an overdose, according to Daniel Arendt, PharmD, assistant professor in UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy and co-chair of the pain stewardship committee for UC Health.

Watch the Action News 5 report.

Wilmington, North Carolina's Port City Daily also highlighted the UC-Caracole partnership in a story about efforts to bring a harm reduction vending machine to the Wilmington area. Read the Port City Daily story.

Read a Kiosk Marketplace story on the program.

Read more about the program and research.

Featured photo at top of naloxone doses courtesy of Unsplash.