KOKOMO, Ind. — Indiana got another naloxone vending machine Thursday. It was installed at the Kokomo-Howard County Public Library on Union Street.
The library partnered with Turning Point and Overdose Lifeline to open the vending machine to the public.
Naloxone is a medication that can greatly reduce — and in some cases, reverse — the effects of drug overdose.
The free machine holds 300 naloxone kits at a time. Anyone will have access to the kits from the machine whenever the library is open. The machine will be located in the vestibule of the library's main entrance, so anyone who needs a kit will not have to fully enter the library for access.
The library also has a "NaloxBox" on the south side of the building that holds 15 kits, in case someone needs one outside of library hours. The library branches on Center Road and in Russiaville also have NaloxBoxes.
"There is no single solution to ending this epidemic that has taken the lives of thousands of Hoosiers. We can, however, take thoughtful steps to help shake the scourge of addiction from our communities. Naloxone vending machines are a practical tool to prevent overdoses and save lives," Douglas Huntsinger, Indiana's executive director for drug prevention said in a statement to 13News. "We must continue to ensure widespread access to naloxone, given the lingering impact of COVID-19 and the increased supply of fentanyl in our 92 counties. Every life lost to a drug overdose is one too many. Naloxone offers the opportunity to get individuals with substance use disorder on the path to long-term recovery."
The vending machine is just one of 19 that will go up across the state as part of Gov. Eric Holcomb's NextLevel Recovery initiative. Other locations for the vending machines include county jails and hospitals around the state.
The first machine was installed at the St. Joseph County Jail in December 2021. Since then, more than 20,000 doses are naloxone have been distributed from the machines.