VIDEO: The first public health vending machine in Outagamie County was unveiled Wednesday. The initiative was spurred primarily due to opioid overdose deaths, which the county saw 95 from 2019-22.
“Almost every single death has fentanyl in it. It’s, in the majority of the deaths that we see, causing these fatalities,” Outagamie County Public Health community health educator Cassy Stefl said. “So having Narcan available to the public for free will hopefully make a huge difference.”
The vending machines contain Narcan and fentanyl testing strips, gun locks, and hygiene products, among other areas that officials see a need for in the community. All items are free, and the benefit of them being dispensed via vending machines is that they are anonymous, removing any possible stigma for getting help.