Vending machine providing free birth control and overdose prevention products debuts in Brooklyn

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A new vending machine in Brooklyn is attracting lots of attention, but not because it sells snacks. Instead, it freely dispenses Naloxone kits, Fentanyl test strips, birth control packs and baggies with tools for safer smoking.

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2023.A new vending machine in Brownsville, Brooklyn is attracting lots of attention – but not because it sells snacks and drinks.

“This is more than just a vending machine – it’s a gateway to services and support and recovery,” said Dr. Ashwin Vasan, commissioner of the city’s Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, which is running the pilot program in partnership with the longstanding harm-reduction and social services nonprofit Services for the UnderServed.

In addition to the goods it offers, the Brownsville vending machine displays QR codes to help people look up services and resources in the community. Its location was determined by an analysis of overdose deaths in the neighborhood, Vasan explained. In Vasan’s view, a problem so pervasive needed a creative solution that can put lifesaving fentanyl overdose antidotes like naxolone – also known by the brand name Narcan – into the hands of as many New Yorkers as possible.

 

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