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On Monday, June 5, New York City's first public health vending machine was unveiled by the city's health officials. The machine offers around-the-clock anti-overdose medicines for addicts, crack pipes, as well as condoms for free.
The blue box with a black glass pane was installed in Brooklyn. Drug users who have overdosed on opioids can get life-saving Naloxone from these machines. The medicine also comes with instructions on how to use it. Instead of chips, soda, and other snacks, the dispensing machine has been made for health and hygiene purposes.
The machine became an instant hit and was cleaned out overnight, as per a report by the New York Post. A drug-prevention program worker restocked the machine later with more Narcan, condoms, and drug test strips, and predicted that the machine might need to be refilled twice a day.
However, this move did not sit well with many netizens as they started pointing out the negative impacts of installing these machines across the city. Some even questioned Mayor Eric Adams' leadership. Popular Twitter page End Wokeness shared the news and several individuals took to the post's comments section to share their thoughts about the same.
"Enabling is not a solution" - Public health vending machine in NYC sparks outrage among netizens
Many criticized this venture and said that the city should not commodify addiction. They objected to the fact that crack pipes were being made available to those who struggled with drug addiction for free. It was called a poor decision by several locals.
Some said that the money spent on these machines should have been spent on social services and rehabilitation to help drug addicts rather than providing them with free remedies which will in a way, only encourage their addiction.
Health Commissioner explains the reason behind installing these vending machines
New York City health officials said that similar machines in Australia and Europe have helped in reducing drug overdose rates as well as the spread of s*xually transmitted diseases.
Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said that New York City is in the midst of a drug overdose crisis, which is claiming the life of a New Yorker every three hours. Dr. Vasan stated that this was a major cause of the decrease in life expectancy in NYC.
He added:
"But we will continue to fight to keep our neighbors and loved ones alive with care, compassion and action. Public health vending machines are an innovative way to meet people where they are and to put life-saving tools like Naloxone in their hands. We’ll leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trends in opioid-related deaths in our city."
Elan Quashie, the worker who restocked the vending machine, said that the drug prevention center got a lot of positive feedback from individuals who used the machine. He believed that they were pleased to have the items for free.
Dr. Vasan said that future machines may also include syringes that are used to inject heroin and similar drugs. He explained that the aim is to help keep users safe with relatively cleaner supplies and help reduce deaths caused by overdose.
The vending machine cost $11,000 before it was stocked with supplies. Users only have to punch in a zip code to avail of the products.
