Jeff Smith - Harm Reduction Kiosks Save Lives

Fentanyl is an extremely powerful synthetic opioid, which is 50 times more powerful than heroin, and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is typically used to treat severe pain following major surgeries with strict oversight from nursing staff and doctors who understand how life threatening even a small amount can be. It only takes a two-milligram dose (equal in size to a few grains of salt) to cause an overdose of an average sized adult. Now that fentanyl is getting laced with other street drugs, people young and old are dying at an alarming rate by mistake. Even though the risks of accidental overdoses are real, the good news is that these deaths are preventable.  

More and more, awareness is increasing about how effective overdose reversal drugs like Narcan are at saving lives and give people struggling with drug addiction another chance at recovery. The introduction of harm reduction kiosks in Eau Claire and Dunn Counties reflects an evolving, pragmatic approach to this public health nightmare. These kiosk vending machines provide free access to items like naloxone (aka Narcan), which can quickly reverse an opioid overdose. Other items at these vending machines include fentanyl test strips people can use to see if the something they are about to take has been laced with the powerful drug.

Since making a free vending machine available to the public last June at the Eau Claire County Jail lobby, they have dispensed a total of 2,188 doses of Narcan and 3,090 fentanyl test strips.

Dunn County installed their vending machine in July at the Health Department building and they go even further by offering additional items like gunlocks, Deterra bags to neutralize and dispose of drugs, menstruation products, condoms and even socks. 

Earlier this summer, Eau Claire, Chippewa and Dunn County each released a community health report regarding the biggest issues facing each community. While the three main concerns facing all three counties were alcohol misuse, accessible childcare and access to health care, the report also noted substance abuse as a major issue.

Between 2018 and 2022, 82 people died due to drug overdoses in Eau Claire County and 62 of those deaths (76%) were opioid-related. During the same timeframe, more than 488 suspected nonfatal opioid overdoses occurred in Eau Claire County.

In 2021, the Wisconsin Department of Health Services found that fentanyl caused 91% of opioid deaths statewide. Provisional data from DHS shows there were 1,358 opioid overdose or poisoning deaths in 2022, a slight decrease from 2021, but it was still a 62% increase from five years ago.

I want to applaud the work of our county health departments for coming up with innovative and accessible solutions like these harm reduction kiosks. They may not be the silver bullet for solving incredibly complicated issues, but they provide a bridge to treatment and recovery services while reducing the burden on emergency services by helping individuals avoid fatal overdoses.

It’s clear these vending machines are practical and effective because they are anonymous and free for anyone to use. My plea for families is to have these lifesaving products in your home, in your car or any place you could find someone who might need them. People who need these items may not use the kiosks, but citizens having these items nearby might just be the way to save a friend or family member who struggles with addiction. You might just save someone’s life, or your own, one day.