Hardware

West Virginia gets its first Narcan vending machine

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April 10, 2023

The first vending machine to offer the overdose-reversing medication, Narcan, has been installed in West Virginia in Morgantown, according to a wvmetronews.com report. Narcan is a name for naloxone, which reverses opioid overdose.

The machine recently opened at Hazel's House of Hope on Scott Avenue in Morgantown.

The machine, available from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. Thursday through Saturday, was purchased by West Virginia Sober Living in partnership with West Virginia Office of Drug Control Policy and the West Virginia Board of Pharmacy.

Users are initially offered one dose per visit for a maximum of two doses per month.

Critics claim the machines enable addicts to continue using drugs because the machine provides a safety net. But Jon Dower, executive director of West Virginia Sober Living, said the drug saves lives and should be available in any situation.