County of Monterey Health Department Expanding Access to Overdose Prevention with Free Naloxone Vending Machines

The County of Monterey Health Department is expanding its overdose-prevention efforts by launching four additional Narcan vending machines on December 8, doubling the number of free, 24/7 access points for naloxone and fentanyl test strips across the county.

The new wave of machines builds on the County's initial launch earlier this year and extends access to college students, families, and justice-involved residents in communities that have been heavily impacted by the opioid crisis. With this expansion, there will now be eight public kiosks providing overdose-reversal medication at no cost.

Each vending machine offers free Narcan (naloxone) and fentanyl test strips, along with simple, step-by-step instructions in English and Spanish so that anyone can recognize the signs of overdose and respond quickly. The machines feature a touchscreen interface and are stocked with up to 250 units of naloxone and 250 fentanyl test strip kits at a time.

The four new overdose-prevention vending machines will be available starting December 9 at:

• Monterey Peninsula College - 980 Fremont Street, Monterey

• Soledad Fire Department - 525 Monterey Street, Soledad

• North County Recreation & Park District (NCRPD) -11261 Crane Street, Castroville

• Monterey County Jail #2 -1414 Natividad Road, Salinas

These join the County's four existing kiosks located at:

• New Behavioral Health Access Outpatient Clinic - 30 Pearl Street, Salinas

• MST Salinas Transit Center - 110 Salinas Street, Salinas

• MST Marina Transit Station - 280 Reservation Road, Marina

• Monterey County Jail #1 - 1410 Natividad Road, Salinas

Naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, is a safe and effective medication that can reverse an opioid overdose within minutes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 100,000 people die from drug overdoses each year in the U.S., with opioids involved in nearly 75% of those deaths.

"This expansion reflects our continued commitment to saving lives by making overdose-prevention tools as easy to access as a bottle of water," said Elsa Jimenez, Director of Health Services for the County of Monterey Health Department. "By placing Narcan vending machines in transit hubs, colleges, recreation centers, and jail facilities, we are meeting people where they are and giving families, students, and community to act in an emergency."

This initiative is part of County of Monterey's broader public health strategy to reduce the devastating impact of opioid use and create pathways to treatment and recovery using opioid settlement funds. In partnership with Decoded, a youth statewide substance use education movement, County of Monterey is also developing a youth-focused communications campaign to prevent opioid misuse before it starts and provide support for young people who are already struggling with substance use.

By increasing accessibility to overdose prevention resources, the County of Monterey continues to prioritize public health and community safety. For more information on naloxone distribution locations and additional harm reduction resources, visit https://www.countyofmonterey.gov/government/departments-a-h/health/behavioral-health/opioid-safety-information-and-resources-copy-10308

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