In partnership with the Governor’s Office and the Division of Mental Health and Addiction, Overdose Lifeline placed Indiana’s first Naloxone Vending Machine at the St. Joseph County Jail in South Bend. This was the start of our shared goal to place them in 19 locations across the state.
Naloxone Vending Machines are repurposed vending machines equipped to carry up to 300 free Naloxone kits. Each Naloxone kit will hold one dose of the overdose reversal drug with instructions for use and referrals for treatment. All vending machines will have 24/7 accessibility.
Reducing Barriers:
Individuals who return to the community after having been incarcerated are 129 times more likely to suffer an overdose than the general population. Vending Machines provide easy, stigma-free access to lifesaving medication – completely free of charge. As part of our strategic plan to bring this resource to those most at risk, we will place them primarily in correctional facilities, hospitals, and other community sites.
To date, we’ve installed four vending machines in the following locations:
- Dubois County Jail
- St. Joseph County Jail
- Tippecanoe County Community Corrections
- Wayne County Jail
NEXT STEPS:
Future placement of vending machines is also in progress for Scott Memorial Hospital and Clark Memorial Hospital in Scott and Clark counties. From there, thanks to funding made available through the Division of Mental Health and Addiction, we will continue our mission to work with community partners until all 19 locations have been established.
Read more about our work with Vending Machines and our partnerships that made it possible in the press release here.
This isn’t the first time we’ve had the pleasure of partnering with the Indiana Department of Corrections. Learn more about our ongoing relationship on our blog here.