A new vending machine at the former Burlington Manufacturers Outlet Center could end up dispensing a second shot at life to people who overdose on certain kinds of narcotics.
Alamance County’s health department has set up this automated kiosk at Hope City CrossFit in order to provide free doses of Narcan – an easy-to-use nasal spray that counteracts the effects of heroin, fentanyl, and other opioid drugs.
The health department has established a similar kiosk at the county’s human services center along Graham-Hopedale Road using revenue from the county’s share of a national legal settlement with the opioid industry. In this case, the health department has drawn on the same reservoir of funds to offer this second dispensary outside of Hope City, whose location at 1236 Plaza Drive lies within the grounds of the former outlet center.
According to Ashley Barber, the health department’s head of behavioral health services, this second dispensary is meant to be especially easy to access in the event of drug-related emergency.
“This one is an outside vending machine,” Barber explained in an interview Monday. “Its temperature controlled, and it’s in an area where we have data to show overdoses have occurred.”
Not only is the new kiosk within walking distance of several nightclubs and bars; it is also outside a business that already does a fair amount of outreach to recovering addicts.
Barber notes that Hope City’s founder, Amanda Hodges, is herself in recovery and has made it her mission to provide fitness services to people who’ve been struggling with addiction. In addition, this venture has received the support of Blue Cross & Blue Shield of North Carolina, whose Healthy Blue program has been the local health department’s source for its Narcan vending machines.
In any event, Barber is optimistic that this three-way partnership will expand the availability of Narcan, which is already part of the arsenal of most first-responders in Alamance County.
“It is free for anyone to use,” Barber added. “The hope is that we’ll see a decrease in overdose fatalities and that we’ll also see an increase in Narcan saturation within the community.”
