JANESVILLE, Wis. — The fight to end fentanyl overdoses is taking a creative turn in Rock County with the launch of new Narcan vending machines.
This program is funded collaboratively through a grant from the Rock County Human Services Department and the Wisconsin Department of Health Services.
“We’ve probably been working on getting these machines here for maybe three months,” said Sheriff Troy Knudson. “I think it’s a matter of ease of access.”
Naloxone — also known as Narcan — is a medication that is used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency. The medication is a nasal spray that can be easily administered with very minimal training.
Narcan has been credited for saving the lives of people suffering from a known or suspected opioid overdose. The Narcan is free, legal to carry, and can be discreetly obtained by anyone looking to save lives and interrupt the fatal effects of opioid overdoses.
It’s now only as simple as pressing a few buttons to access the life-saving drug.
“I think people are going up to a vending machine, they may not be as comfortable going up to a person and asking for this sort of thing,” Knudson said.
From 2020 to 2021, the overdose death rate increased by more than 50% in Rock County. In 2022, nearly 80% of overdose deaths involved fentanyl. This drug poses an extreme risk to drug users
and others in our community who may, sometimes unexpectedly, encounter it.
“As an agency, we go to these overdoses, and they are very traumatic things,” said Knudson. “If we can provide them with some sort of tool to help them protect their loved ones as they deal with the difficulties of addiction, it just seemed like a program that made good sense for us.”
This isn’t the first effort in our state toward opioid overdose prevention. Last month, the Dane County Board approved a new $750,000 initiative that would help expand Narcan kits, like the ones at the Rock County vending machine.
RELATED: Dane County Board approves $750K for opioid overdose prevention
“I would imagine we are going to see these more widespread across the state,” Knudson said.
The Narcan vending machine is located in the lobby of the Rock County Sheriff’s Office at 200 E. U.S. Highway 14 in Janesville. The lobby is open 24/7 so the public can have access to it at any time.
There is a QR code on the machine to watch a two-minute training video on recognizing the signs of an overdose and how to administer Narcan. Individuals will then enter in the number next to their zip code and a Narcan box drops through the dispenser. There is also a QR code to a survey that is completely anonymous and helps us collect additional data about the process.
RCSO received the free units of Narcan from Addiction Medical Solutions of Wisconsin-Janesville, which is a Narcan direct provider through the state. The funding for vending machines comes from the Rock County Human Services Department with the use of grant funds, meaning the project comes at no cost to the public.
“I think when you look about trying to keep people from dying unnecessarily, I think it makes a lot of sense,” said Knudson.
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