The Narcan vending machine can be accessed during The Turning Point’s service hours weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. (Photo by The Turning Point on Facebook)

NORWICH– In response to the increase in opioid overdose events in Chenango County, The Turning Point, a substance abuse recovery center, installed a Narcan vending machine located inside of its Norwich site. The machine provides free Narcan units and is accessible during the organization’s operating hours.

The machine opened for use on June 1, according to a Facebook post by the organization. Narcan, or naloxone, is a treatment for a potentially fatal overdose event, they said in the post. With the influx of fentanyl use, they said overdoses occur more quickly, and earlier intervention is necessary.

“This is a crucial and lifesaving tool,” they said. “Putting Naloxone in the hands of more people, free and anonymously, can save more precious lives and allow individuals struggling with addiction to seek education and (possible) treatment.”

Although the machine is currently only available during facility service hours weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., the organization is discussing with other local agencies the possibility of placing the machine in an outdoor foyer so that people can access it 24/7, said Kyle LaFever, the Peer Services Coordinator at the Friends of Recovery of Delaware and Otsego Counties (FORDO).

The Turning Point of Chenango County at 24 East Main Street is one of five locations provided by FORDO.

The organization first installed a Narcan vending machine at their Oneonta location, LaFever said. Before its installation, the facility gave out 20 to 30 kits a month, he said, and right after its addition, numbers doubled. While the machine was first only offered inside the building, they later moved it outside, and last month the location distributed 120 Narcan units, he said.

LaFever said asking for Narcan might be a difficult step for some people, but the vending machine provides contactless access for drug users and those not using substances alike.

“Being outside really allows people to get equal access to this medication without the shame and the stigma associated with the disease,” he said.

He said Narcan can be a controversial subject, as some associate its use with enabling drug users.

“I was just talking with some primary care doctors not long ago, and they said, ‘well doesn't Narcan enable people to continue to use?’ And I said, ‘does a seatbelt enable you to drive fast?’,” he said. “Just because you've had these safety measures in place doesn't mean that you're necessarily going to need them or take advantage of them.”

The Norwich facility offers services including one-on-one recovery coaching and support meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, LaFever said. They also hold Narcan use training sessions, LaFever said, and future dates can be seen on their online calendar.