A refurbished vending machine located in the Eau Claire County Jail lobby that dispenses free Narcan and fentanyl test strips has distributed 503 boxes of Narcan and 250 test strip kits in its first six months.
“Overdose and substance misuse have a deep impact on a community. One big step we can take to keep our family, friends, and neighbors safer is to actively distribute these tools that can prevent overdoses.”
-Sarah Dillivan-Pospisil, public health specialist with the Health Department.
The vending machine opened for public use in June 2023. It is available to the community 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The Eau Claire County Sheriff’s Office and the Eau Claire City-County Health Department have partnered to launch and maintain the vending machine.
As of December 13, six months after its launch, the vending machine had dispensed:
- 503 boxes of Narcan (total of 1,006 doses)
- 250 fentanyl test strip kits (total of 1,250 test strips)
“We’re thrilled that the vending machine has effectively distributed hundreds of Narcan doses and fentanyl test strips to people in our community,” says Sarah Dillivan-Pospisil, public health specialist with the Health Department. “Overdose and substance misuse have a deep impact on a community. One big step we can take to keep our family, friends, and neighbors safer is to actively distribute these tools that can prevent overdoses.”
