The city of Vine Grove has installed a vending machine containing free Narcan.
According to the city, the installation of the machine is the first ever in Kentucky.
The refrigerated machine, located outside the Vine Grove Police Department, dispenses one package of Narcan containing two doses of the opioid overdose reversal treatment.
“I want people to come here and get this and take it to their house, put it in their cabinet, put it in their bathrooms,” Vine Grove Police Chief Kenny Mattingly told The News-Enterprise.
Last year, there were 46 overdose deaths in the county of about 110,000 residents. In Kentucky, 2,250 people died from drug overdoses, a 14.5 percent increase from 2020.
In addition to receiving a package of two Narcan doses, the package contains information on how and where to seek drug addiction treatment.
Communicare and the Lincoln Trail District Health Department donated the $4,500 dispenser. Communicare is responsible for refilling the machine.
(Photo of Vine Grove Narcan dispenser courtesy of The News-Enterprise)
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
