How US is helping its citizens get high safely with free overdose kits
US's first 'public health' vending machine in New York City, is offering various 'safer smoking' kits including free crack pipes, 'safer sniffing' kits, fentanyl testing strips, overdose-reversing nasal sprays, nicotine gum, and condoms
The 'Public health' vending machine offering safety kits from drug use was nearly empties in just 24 hours after its launch. Source: Twitter/Reuters
Just 24 hours after its launch, the inaugural “public health” vending machine in New York City, which offered various “safer smoking” kits including free crack pipes, “safer sniffing” kits, fentanyl testing strips, overdose-reversing nasal sprays, nicotine gum, and condoms, was nearly emptied of its entire inventory.
According to reports, the city has plans to install three additional vending machines, costing $11,000 each, in neighborhoods severely impacted by the opioid overdose crisis.
The contents of these machines will be available free of charge to anyone entering their zip code on the keypad, with maintenance being handled by the nonprofit organization Services for the Underserved.
New York Health Commissioner Ashwin Vasan stated in an announcement about the vending machine rollout, “We are currently facing an overdose crisis in our city, with a fellow New Yorker being lost every three hours, leading to a decline in life expectancy in NYC.”
Vasan emphasized the importance of providing “life-saving tools like Naloxone” over the distribution of “safer use” kits, demonstrating the city’s commitment to preserving the lives of its residents. It has also been reported that there are intentions to stock syringes in these vending machines.
Perry Perlmutter, the CEO of Services for the Underserved, hailed the initiative as a transformative development for East Brooklyn, stating that the vending machines’ contents would not only prevent overdoses, infections, and other health risks associated with substance use but also provide essential items to enhance the quality of life for all New Yorkers, regardless of their income, insurance, or housing status.
New York’s Overdose crisis
The overdose crisis in New York City has reached alarming levels, with 2022 on track to surpass the previous record of 2,668 overdose deaths set in 2021. The first half of 2022 alone saw 1,370 overdose deaths recorded.
Similar to New York’s controversial “safe” drug injection sites, which are expected to increase from two to five by 2025, the introduction of paraphernalia vending machines appears to draw inspiration from Vancouver, a Canadian city plagued by drug-related issues.
Vancouver has been operating vending machines for almost a decade, dispensing crack pipes and even some narcotics, under the guise of “harm reduction.”
Although New York seems to be the first city in the United States to offer a comprehensive range of free drug paraphernalia through vending machines, other cities such as Los Angeles have also started distributing “smoking kits,” in addition to Narcan and testing strips, alongside the long-standing needle exchange programs that have been in place for decades.
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