Naloxone machine to be placed in Monroe County Sheriff’s Office
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (WISH) — Naloxone can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, from drugs such as fentanyl, heroin, and prescription pain killers.
The Naloxone vending machine is the 19th one statewide. The first was placed in the St. Joseph County Jail in South Bend in 2021.
Naloxone can be given to anyone showing signs of an opioid overdose, and can be administered through a nasal spray or injected.
Between April 2020 and April 2021, Indiana reported a 32 percent increase in fatal overdoses, prompting Governor Eric Holcomb to launch this program at the end of 2021.
“We’ve got to do more, and the way we game that out is, how do we get more resources on the street, on the ground closer to where that need is,” Holcombs said in a 2021 interview.
Overdose Lifeline is purchasing the vending machines through a $72,000 federal grant.
“This machine gives Monroe County residents zero-barrier access to a medication that could mean the difference between life and death,” Monroe County Sheriff Swain said.
The Nalaxone machine is free for the public to access, and the machines hold up to 300 kits, which include instructions on how to administer them.
A spokesperson for the Monroe County Jail says the facility has a supply of Naloxone for inmates already incarcerated.
Individuals and agencies can request Naloxone kits to carry with them through Overdose Lifeline.