- Colorado Announces $3 Million Grant To Boost [Narcan] Supply As Data Shows Drop In Overdose Deaths. For The Denver Post, Nick Coltrain reports that Colorado leaders will use $3 million from the state’s opioid settlement fund “to provide the overdose-reversal drug [Narcan]” to more locations around the state. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser made the announcement as the state saw “a 15.6% drop from 2023’s [overdose] total… [with] officials crediting the availability of [Narcan]… for helping to blunt the health crisis.”
- In Oklahoma, State Revives Narcan Vending Machine Program. For KFOR News, Abigail Franklin reports that the Oklahoma Department of Public Health “is redistributing the life-saving Narcan vending machines” across the state “to help curb overdose deaths,” following a pause in the program last year. Mark Woodward, with the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, explained to the news station how important this renewed effort is in the state: “We hear stories all the time from parents who used it when they found their teenager who was overdosing… or their adult loved ones who’s in their seventies or eighties with dementia, overdosing because they forgot whether they took pain medicine… and a loved one was able to administer it.”
- In Louisiana, Pointe Coupee Parish Installed County-First Narcan Vending Machines At Local Libraries. WAFB News reports on the first Narcan vending machines being installed at four public libraries around the parish in an effort “to reduce opioid overdoses… by equipping residents with the tools they need to save lives.” The vending machines offer “free 24/7 access to Narcan, Fentanyl testing kits, and educational materials on substance use and overdose prevention.”
- In Georgia, Newton County Sheriff’s Department Installed First Narcan Vending Machine At The County Jail. For The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Chaya Tong reports on the first Narcan vending machine “in a law enforcement facility” installed in the state. The move comes just months after the Georgia legislature made the units legal across the state. First responders around the state are “trained in the use of the medication, and many carry doses with them on calls… [and] equip vehicles with Narcan.”
- In Virginia, Chesterfield County Courthouse Gets A Narcan Vending Machine. For ABC8 News, Katelyn Harlow reports on the county’s new vending machine just outside the courthouse that dispenses “free Narcan, testing strips and other resources.” The county sheriff’s department explained to the news station that this resource is critical because “opioid overdoses can happen anywhere and Narcan could potentially help reverse them in minutes… we are giving people a second chance.”
- In Washington State, Bellingham Expands Narcan Vending Machine Program. For The Bellingham Herald, Hannah Edelman reports on the city’s “ongoing effort to combat the opioid crisis” the city has installed two more “free 24/7 Narcan dispensers in a pair of city buildings. The expansion will continue this year with more vending machines being installed at the fire station and local food bank.
