MADISON, Wis. — Two new harm reduction vending machines are coming to Dane County.
The vending machines will be placed outside of two hospitals: SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital at the corner of S. Park and Erin Streets, and the UW Health University Hospital emergency department at 600 Highland Avenue.
The machines will include naloxone, fentanyl test strips, xylazine test strips, menstrual kits and more. Items will be free for the public.
Dane County Emergency Management said it looked at data from similar vending machines and ambulance reports to select what products would be most needed.
“The sites for the machines were carefully selected to ensure people will be able to easily access them,” said Dane County Emergency Management (DCEM) Director Charles Tubbs. “These items are also available for free, in order to remove the financial hurdles that could stop someone from seeking them out.”
Dr. Mike Mancera is an emergency medicine physician at UW Health.
“We deal with, unfortunately, accidental overdoses from opiate medications so this would be one of the things that we see frequently in the emergency department,” Mancera said.
Mancera said one of the vending machines was strategically placed outside of the hospital's emergency room because it is a well-known and high-traffic area.
“This hopefully reduces the barriers for people asking for help; we want people to be able to obtain resources at any time, at any place,” Mancera said.
In Dane County in 2020, 45% of people who died from an overdose had been to an emergency department within a year before the fatal overdose, according to Public Health Madison and Dane County. Health officials said 24% of those emergency department visits were for non-fatal overdoses.
Health officials said of those emergency department visits, 34% were within 30 days before the fatal overdose.
“Introducing the harm reduction vending machine at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital is a vital step in our ongoing commitment to community health and safety,” said Dr. Kacey Kronenfeld, EMS Medical Director SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital. “This initiative reinforces our commitment to combating the opioid crisis by providing Narcan conveniently and discreetly, saving lives. Together, we can make a significant impact and foster a safer environment for everyone.
“These easily accessible harm reduction vending machines can reduce the stigma and barriers faced by people who use drugs to help them, and their loved ones, gain immediate access to resources,” he added.
The vending machines are a product of partnership between Dane County, SSM Health, UW Health, UW-Madison and other organizations.
Kailey Peterson is an opiate prevention specialist with Dane County. She hopes these vending machines will help to save lives and break the stigma around addiction and overdoses.
“Substance use disorder is a medical issue. There is treatment for it and just remembering that there are ways to help these people, and this is just one of the ways we can help and provide resources,” Peterson said.
The vending machines are funded through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. Peterson said this funding is what allows these harm reduction tools to be free to the general public.
“We are hoping to be able to keep these free for about a year with that money and then we have really strong partnerships with local agencies like Public Health Madison Dane County and we can fill that stock as needed,” Paterson said.
Officials said they hope these vending machines will help prevent or treat fatal overdoses, saying that “having quick access to life-saving medications could make the difference between life and death.”
“Dane County is committed to saving lives and addressing the opioid epidemic with compassion, urgency and evidence-based solutions,” said Dane County Executive Melissa Agard. “These new harm reduction vending machines reflect our dedication to meeting people where they are, breaking down barriers to care, and giving our community the tools it needs to prevent overdose deaths. By placing these resources directly in the community, we’re increasing access to life-saving materials and helping ensure that no one is alone in this crisis.”
Aly Prouty - Digital Media Producer
Aly Prouty is a digital producer for Spectrum News 1 Wisconsin, Ohio and Kentucky. An award-winning, multimedia journalist, she holds an honors B.A. in journalism from Marquette University and an M.A. in journalism and media studies from The University of Alabama.
