Vending machines giving out Narcan for free in New Jersey

ROCKAWAY — If people are going to continue to use extremely dangerous drugs, they should have tools on them to limit the odds of death.

That's the basis of the latest harm reduction effort out of Morris County, which is now home to vending machines that are filled only with naloxone, the drug that can reverse an opioid antidote.

The new initiative is made possible through assistance from Rockaway-based Prevention is Key.

The naloxone kits are free — the idea is to get the life-saving drug into as many hands as possible.

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Three vending machines have been installed throughout the county:

⚫ nourish.NJ, in Dover

⚫ CARES, in Rockaway

⚫ Morris County Correctional Facility

"It is recognized that individuals released from incarceration are at a higher risk for overdose/fatalities," the Morris County Sheriff's Office said. "The easily accessible vending machine in the lobby of the correctional facility distributes Narcan to those in need."

According to the sheriff's office, the correctional facility recently distributed its 200th Narcan kit.

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