Next steps considered after Narcan vending machine vandalized – Austin Daily Herald

The naloxone vending machine filled with Narcan that was stationed outside of the Law Enforcement Center has been removed for the time being after it was damaged in an alleged act of vandalism.

While no official report has been filed, the Opioid Advisory Committee, which funded the machine through funds supplied by opioid lawsuit settlement fund, is looking at next steps. This is according to Mower County Health and Human Services Division Manager Pam Kellogg-Marmosler, who is also a member of the committee.

According to a release by Austin Police Chief David McKichan, police were dispatched to the machine at around 10:11 a.m. on Aug. 27 to a report of an individual allegedly kicking the machine.

The release stated that the officer involved in the case was waiting for an official estimate of the damage including a detailing of the damage as well as a dollar amount associated with it.

The case remains under investigation.

The vending machine was established outside of the LEC toward the end of July and represented one of the few examples of Narcan being available to the public through this method in the state.

It was viewed as an effective way for those in need to get their hands on the medicine, which can often be a challenge.

Naloxone stops the effects of an overdose in mere moments, adding a power weapon in the war against opioid abuse.

“I wanted Narcan easily accessible,” said Recovery is Happening Peer Support Specialist and Opioid Advisory Committee member Brandon Moseng at the time the machine was established. “It’s hard for somebody to walk into a store and ask, ‘hey, can I get some Narcan?’ A lot of it has to be prescription and a lot of the people I talked to don’t know where to go or how to get it.”

Recovery is Happening is the group that requested funds from the committee and is in charge of stocking the machine.