The Addison Fire Department in Steuben County is home to a new kind of vending machine that provides free access to Narcan nasal spray and Fentanyl and Xylazine test strips—tools that can be lifesaving by helping to reverse or prevent an overdose.
The vending machine is part of a public health harm reduction strategy aimed at helping people who struggle with substance abuse, according to the county public health department.
Narcan can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Fentanyl test strips test drugs for the presence of the substance, which is highly potent and can be lethal. The Xylazine test strips test drugs for this veterinary sedative increasingly found in illicit drug supplies.
County officials said in a press release that last year, eight people died from overdose in the county, down from 12 deaths in 2023. The new vending machine is meant to help people who take drugs make informed decisions about their health and safety.
The vending machine is available around the clock just outside the Addison fire station.
In 2023, the Addison Fire Department was one of three fire departments in the county to place an overdose emergency kit outside of its station for free access at any hour of the day. That kit included Naloxone, a generic version of Narcan.
Narcan training is available throughout the county. Free Narcan is available in wall boxes located in multiple areas of the county and can be located using the county’s Narcan location map.