Bright blue vending machines whose free products can help save lives are popping up around Western New York and the rest of the state.
The machines dispense Narcan, the nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose, and test strips to detect fentanyl and Xylazine, substances being added to drugs with lethal consequences here and across the country.
The so-called “no stigma” vending machines are the latest tool in an ongoing effort to prevent opioid deaths, which have reached historic levels due to street drugs like heroin being laced with far more dangerous substances to produce bigger and longer-lasting highs.
More than 370 people died from opioid-related overdoses in Erie County last year, about 70 more than the previous year, due to fentanyl being added not just to heroin but also to methamphetamine, pills and even cocaine, which is expensive and therefore affects an older group of users, according to the county’s Opioid Task Force.
More recently, Xylazine, a powerful synthetic opioid used by veterinarians to sedate large animals, is being added to heroin already cut with fentanyl to make it last longer, said Shelby Arena, harm reduction manager for Buffalo MATTERS, the opioid treatment network behind the vending machines.
MATTERS, which stands for “Medication for Addiction Treatment & Electronic Referrals,” was founded by UB emergency medicine Dr. Joshua Lynch in 2015. In 2019 it was adopted statewide and it’s still expanding.
The program provides treatment medication to opioid use disorder patients at emergency departments and gets them into long-term treatment at a community clinic of their choice within 48 hours. MATTERS also offers telemedicine visits for virtual evaluations, treatment medication prescriptions and referrals.
Since fall 2022, it also distributes free Narcan and test strips to community sites, pharmacies and treatment organizations across the state as well as individuals who can request them…
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