Government

NYC expands public health vending to Staten Island

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June 30, 2026

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New York City has opened its first publicly supported health vending machines on Staten Island, according to a press release, providing free, 24/7 access to health and harm reduction supplies outside Community Health Action of Staten Island and A Chance in Life in Port Richmond. Users can access the machines by entering a New York City ZIP code before selecting items such as naloxone, fentanyl test strips, hygiene kits, condoms and other wellness supplies. City officials said the machines are intended to reduce barriers to care and make lifesaving resources available whenever they are needed.

The Staten Island deployment builds on the city's earlier public health vending machine program, which launched in Brooklyn and Queens in 2023. Since then, the Health Department said the machines have been used more than 73,000 times and have dispensed more than 6,600 naloxone kits, with hygiene kits, first aid supplies and sexual health products among the most frequently selected items. Officials said the new machines are funded through $12 million in opioid settlement dollars allocated to expand prevention, treatment and recovery services across Staten Island.

City leaders said the initiative is part of a broader strategy to combat the opioid epidemic through low-barrier access to harm reduction services. They pointed to a 49% decline in overdose deaths among Staten Island residents between 2023 and 2024, with the borough's overdose death rate falling from the city's second-highest to its second-lowest during that period. Health Commissioner Dr. Alister Martin said the machines provide an opportunity to connect more residents with health resources while encouraging engagement with additional community services.

Community organizations welcomed the expansion, saying the vending machines will improve access to essential supplies in neighborhoods where residents may face transportation, economic or language barriers to care. Officials from the Staten Island Partnership for Community Wellness, Community Health Action of Staten Island and A Chance in Life said the machines represent a practical way to deliver harm reduction resources while helping connect people with broader health services before a crisis occurs.