Free Public Health Vending Machines Open on SI
Two machines funded with opioid settlement dollars will provide free health and overdose prevention supplies 24 hours a day.
On June 29, two public health vending machines were opened on Staten Island providing free health and harm reduction supplies 24/7. The machines were unveiled by Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani, the New York City Health Department and Partnerships for Community Wellness outside Community Health Action of Staten Island in Port Richmond, and The Village by A Chance in Life in West Brighton.
Brooklyn and Queens received the first four vending machines in New York City in 2023. They have been used over 73,000 times, dispensing naloxone 6,600 times. Naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, is a safe medicine used to restore breathing after an opioid overdose. Naloxone blocks the effects of opioids for 30 to 90 minutes.
The vending machines can be used by anyone freely, by entering a New York City Zip Code before selecting their supplies. “Public health vending machines expand access to lifesaving supplies, reduce stigma, and make it easier for New Yorkers to protect their health and the health of those around them" said Chair of the New York City Council’s Committee on Health Lynn Schulman. Supplies include naloxone, hygiene kits, fentanyl test trips, safer sex supplies, and even socks. The machines are funded through $12 million in opioid settlement dollars New York City allocated in 2023 to expand Staten Island's prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery services. The City intends on appropriating over $480 million to behavioral health services across the five boroughs by fiscal year 2029.
Opioid settlement funding is making a difference. Overdose deaths among Staten Island residents fell 49% between 2023 and 2024. "Just two years ago, Staten Island had the second highest overdose death rate citywide, a disparity that reflects the persistent health infrastructure gaps residents face here” said Adrienne Abbate, Executive Director, Partnerships for Community Wellness. “As we continue to tackle the overdose crisis, these new vending machines will help us begin to close those gaps, giving every community member free, 24/7 access to lifesaving Narcan and other essential wellness supplies."
Opioid settlement payouts globally are expected to total about $58.58 billion over nearly two decades, paid by 20+ companies that made or distributed prescription painkillers, including Johnson & Johnson, Walgreens, Walmart, and Purdue Pharma - which manufactured OxyContin. Although it's a large sum, it's dwarfed by the size of the crisis opioids wrought, making each dollar that's spent critical.
