A grant that was initially meant to establish one more free narcan vending machine, will now support eight machines around Lawrence, and the first three were installed this week. Lawrence’s homeless solutions division received $200,000 in grant funding from Kansas Fights Addiction to set up one narcan vending machine. A partnership with Schmidt Vending allowed the city to repurpose used machines rather than purchasing brand new, meaning the money will stretch to cover eight machines.
Narcan or naloxone, blocks the effects of opiates on the brain and restores breathing. It’s effective against all opiates and opioids — heroin, fentanyl, oxycodone, and similar prescription and street drugs — although some overdoses may take multiple doses to reverse. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment identified 33 opioid overdoses in eastern Kansas between March 9th and May 5th. Douglas County accounted for a majority of emergency department visits in the area, double what would be expected in a two-month timeframe.
