Minneapolis Rolls Out a Lifesaving Vending Machine

Convenience. Most of us have gotten so used to having things readily available to us, that minor hiccups make us feel, well, inconvenienced.  

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When there are emergency situations, it’s not a matter of being inconvenienced, it could be a matter of life and death. But in a situation where someone’s life is at stake, how often do we hear of stories where the necessary items weren’t available? 

America is still dealing with a drug problem, and overdoses are happening regularly. There are tools out there to help combat that, but in a public situation, these tools usually aren’t handy. 

Until now! 

The City of Minneapolis is installing their first FREE NARCAN vending machine. This is an attempt to combat the number of overdoses in the area. 

NARCAN is the drug which is given to those undergoing a drug overdose to try and reverse the effects of the drugs they’ve taken.  

The vending machine when it’s full will contain 100 boxes of NARCAN that have two doses each in them, and the machine is accessible 24 hours a day outside Fire Station 21. This area is one where there have been a considerable number of substance abuse cases.  

Fox 9 reports that from 2017-2021 there were 38 drug related deaths in that area. Thus far this year, there have been 4 overdose deaths, and possibly as many as 74 non-fatal overdoses in the area around the fire station. 

The opioid issue has been present in the U.S. for quite a while, but in Minneapolis alone, there seems to be a significant problem as Fox 9 reports that over the last five years, 20% of opioid deaths in the State of Minnesota have been in the city.