Sarah Stone, the board president of SOAR WV, an overdose prevention group, stands on April 15, 2024, with a recycled newspaper box that serves as a type of vending machine for free naloxone, which is an opioid-overdose treatment drug. An event was held Monday to celebrate the first anniversary of the placement of the naloxone vending machine behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, 520 Kanawha Blvd. West.
Shown on Monday, April 15, 2024 is a recycled newspaper box that serves as a type of vending machine providing free naloxone, which is an opioid-overdose treatment drug. A brand of naloxone called Narcan is shown here. An event was held Monday to celebrate the first anniversary of the placement of this naloxone vending machine behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, 520 Kanawha Blvd. West.
Charleston city councilman Joe Sullivan restocks a free Naloxone vending machine with Xylazine test kits on Monday, April 15, 2024. The recycled newspaper box serves as a type of vending machine providing free Naloxone, which is an opioid-overdose treatment drug. Xylazine kits test for a veterinary tranquilizer that is sometimes added to illicitly sold opioids such as fentanyl and heroin according to the kit manufacturer, DanceSafe. An event was held Monday to celebrate the first anniversary of the placement of the Naloxone vending machine behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, 520 Kanawha Blvd. West.
In the year that the free naloxone vending machine has been set up at Charleston’s Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 300 boxes — containing 600 doses of the overdose-reversing drug — have been distributed.
The vending machine, a recycled newspaper dispenser, was launched by , an overdose prevention group. It contains naloxone (often in the Narcan brand), fentanyl test strips and Plan B. The group has plans to place similar boxes throughout the rest of the city and the nation.
Sarah Stone, the board president of SOAR WV, an overdose prevention group, stands on April 15, 2024, with a recycled newspaper box that serves as a type of vending machine for free naloxone, which is an opioid-overdose treatment drug. An event was held Monday to celebrate the first anniversary of the placement of the naloxone vending machine behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, 520 Kanawha Blvd. West.
SEAN McCALLISTER | Gazette-Mail
A second box is in place at the Women’s Health Center on Washington Street West. Later this month, the city’s third box will be placed at the Living AIDS Memorial Garden on Washington Street East.
SOAR WV has two more boxes ready to go to any community organizations who are willing to host them. SOAR can help the organizations get free naloxone from the state, distributed from the University of Charleston.
This fall — for the annual Save A Life Day event — every state east of the Mississippi River will also get two boxes.
Shown on Monday, April 15, 2024 is a recycled newspaper box that serves as a type of vending machine providing free naloxone, which is an opioid-overdose treatment drug. A brand of naloxone called Narcan is shown here. An event was held Monday to celebrate the first anniversary of the placement of this naloxone vending machine behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, 520 Kanawha Blvd. West.
Chelsea Steelhammer, Ward 10 councilmember and SOAR volunteer, said the naloxone is good to have on hand, even if people don’t think they’ll use it.
“We have a lot of things in our first-aid kit we never want to use,†she said. “I don’t ever want to use a tourniquet ... but a lot of first-aid kits come with it.â€
Sometimes, people think they shouldn’t carry naloxone because they don’t use drugs, but Steelhammer pointed out that it’s to help other people, even a stranger walking by.
Provisional state statistics from March show Kanawha County leading the state in opioid-related overdose deaths with 139. Cabell County followed with 129. No other county had more than 100.
“With the statistics as they are, you’re going to run into people that use drugs regularly,†she said. “You’re going to care about people who use drugs regularly.â€
Charleston city councilman Joe Sullivan restocks a free Naloxone vending machine with Xylazine test kits on Monday, April 15, 2024. The recycled newspaper box serves as a type of vending machine providing free Naloxone, which is an opioid-overdose treatment drug. Xylazine kits test for a veterinary tranquilizer that is sometimes added to illicitly sold opioids such as fentanyl and heroin according to the kit manufacturer, DanceSafe. An event was held Monday to celebrate the first anniversary of the placement of the Naloxone vending machine behind the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Charleston, 520 Kanawha Blvd. West.
SEAN McCALLISTER | Gazette-Mail
Lived experience
Tommy Dommer — who works in the field of harm reduction for drug users — attended Monday’s event and said that just last week he administered naloxone to a man overdosing on methamphetamines laced with fentanyl.
“He survived, and it kind of woke him up [about his drug use], so he’s in rehab now,†said Dommer, who also is in recovery.
For him, helping with harm reduction is his way of giving back to the community.
