From March 2021 to March 2022, 109,000 people died of a drug overdose. “The latest figure is a 44% jump from two years earlier when there were about 76,000 deaths reported in the 12-month period ending in March 2020.” according to Deidre McPhillips, staff writer for CNN.

This original Narcan vending machine is located in Vine Grove, KY. Their police department unveiled a vending machine that allows a person to get one package of Narcan which contains two doses for free. It also comes with a brochure of programs for addiction recovery. Narcan is a nasal spray prescription medication that is used for treating opioid drug overdoses. According to the Team Kentucky website, on February 17, 2022, Andy Beshear announced that “through a federal grant, the commonwealth of Kentucky and the University of Kentucky are administering Narcan, a name brand medicine naloxone, in 16 counties at no cost to help reduce overdose deaths. A partnership between UK and the department of corrections Kentuckians under community supervision, including their family, friends, living in or reporting to probation and parole offices located in Boyd, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Floyd, Franklin, Kenton, and Madison counties can receive Narcan free of charge. As of today, more than 500 units have been distributed. Eight more counties will be added to this program this summer for a Narcan vending machine.” 

All of this shows that many people’s lives were saved in one night. We need this Narcan machine in more locations. It’s just shocking that so many people are using drugs that they go through a whole vending machine.  Each vending machine holds 150 boxes of Narcan. If there are 2 doses in each, that’s 300 kits. That’s quite a lot for just one night alone. 

Drugs are used all over the world and regardless of dosage, they have a high likelihood of being lethal.  Recently, a man overdosed at the light in front of the high school. He was parked and unresponsive when the paramedics got there. The paramedics had to Narcan him back. Luckily, He was fine and was brought to the hospital. If Narcan can prevent fatalities, why don’t we have a vending machine in Paris? This could save countless local lives.