A public vending machine has been set up in St. Charles that dispenses free Narcan, which is used in an emergency to treat an opioid overdose.
The vending machine is in a booth outside the Lighthouse Recovery Center, a substance use disorder treatment provider at 210 S. Fifth St. in downtown St. Charles.
The free Narcan in the vending machine is in the form of a nasal spray, according to a press release. It is available 24 hours a day, every day, officials said.
Instructions on how to use Narcan, which is the commercial name for naloxone, are included with the medication. Narcan is harmless if administered to someone who is not overdosing, according to the release.
“Free, 24-hour access to this life-saving medication is essential to reducing the overdose death rate in our communities,” said Nathan Lanthrum, clinical director and co-owner of Lighthouse Recovery, in the release. “It has saved the lives of countless friends and family members over the years and should be readily available to anybody who needs it, regardless of their ability or desire to access services in any other capacity.
“When someone is treated in this fashion – with compassion instead of shame – it could give them that one last chance to realize that help is out there and start them toward the path of recovery,” Lanthrum said.
The free Narcan is available to everyone. A person does not have to be a Lighthouse client or patient to access it, the release stated. The vending machine is also not monitored so individuals can obtain Narcan anonymously.
“I hope this is the first of many free, round-the-clock Narcan distribution efforts in Kane County,” Kane County State’s Attorney Jamie Mosser said in the release.
“We have seen first-hand that Narcan has saved the lives of people overdosing,” Mosser said.
“Offering easier access to Narcan is one of the many ways we can help those in our community with substance use disorder,” she said in the release.
Kane County Health Department Director Michael Isaacson said the new vending machine is all about saving lives.
“Addressing substance use is complex, but one easy thing all of us should do is learn to administer Narcan and make sure it is widely available,” Isaacson said. “Programs like this one at Lighthouse save people’s lives.”
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The drug is highly effective in helping people survive an overdose, officials said.
According to the most recent data available from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioid overdose deaths increased from 21,089 in 2010 to 80,411 in 2021 in the United States, the release stated. Kane County had a combined 156 opioid-related deaths in 2021 and 2022.
“Yes, I absolutely am in favor of having a Narcan vending machine in Kane County,” Kane County Coroner Rob Russell said in the release. “I would actually advocate for more. I know the argument has been made that this enables people to continue using and should not be encouraged. This is a fallacy. A recent study by the University of Cincinnati revealed that nearly 1,000 people have been saved from naloxone that was acquired from a vending machine.
“Kane County has had 78 deaths each of the last two years due to opioid poisoning,” he said. “This year we do not anticipate a reduction of those numbers. We are actually on pace this year to surpass that number. My hope is that we will see a reduction with the implementation of this Narcan vending machine.”
The Kane County Health Department is hosting a free Narcan drive-thru distribution event from noon to 2 p.m. and from 5 to 7 p.m Aug. 31 at 1240 N. Highland Ave. in Aurora. The event is being held on Aug. 31 because that is International Overdose Awareness Day.
For more information about how to obtain free Narcan with instructions for use from the Kane County Health Department, go to https://kanehealth.com/Pages/Opioid/How-to-Obtain-Naloxone.aspx.