On September 26th, McHenry County College obtained a vending machine that contains a lifesaving drug, along with test strips that can detect fentanyl. The very next day, September 27th, the vending machine was filled for the first time, carrying 54 boxes of Narcan, 108 doses.
The McHenry County Health Department placed four machines in the area. The other locations are The Other Side Cafe & Sober Bar, 135 Beardsley St., Crystal Lake; Community Health Partnership, 62 N. Ayer St., Harvard; and Youth and Family Center of McHenry County, 1011 Green St., McHenry.
Narcan is a life-saving, over-the-counter medication that can reverse opioid overdoses. It comes in the form of a nasal spray and is safe for all ages. The active drug in Narcan, naloxone, is what makes it work.
Having a drug available for free in a public area may seem peculiar, however, according to Health Line: “In March 2023, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved trusted source Narcan for OTC use. This means Narcan is available without a prescription.” That said, this opportunity could not be passed up, it can change and save lives.
As reported by the FDA, “drug overdose persists as a major public health issue in the United States, with more than 101,750 reported fatal overdoses occurring in the 12-month period ending in October 2022, primarily driven by synthetic opioids like illicit fentanyl.”
Rachel Boldman, the Director of Student Engagement and Support, also a member of the Substance Abuse Coalition, worked alongside Talia Koronkiewicz, Vice President of Student Affairs, when they were approached with the idea to bring in the vending machines. Boldman hopes that having Narcan vending machines in the MCC Café area will assist our community with “harm reduction,” pertaining to people who struggle with addiction.
Drug overdoses are far too common to not have resources like Narcan available — the initial hope for the vending machine is to give people a chance to recover without having to battle the stigma around drugs, addiction, and recovery. Boldman explains that the Narcan boxes are not tracked by their serial numbers at all — if you take one, you are the only one who knows.
The school hopes to reassure students and others that they have help — uncharted and anonymous. While there is no known drug or overdose-related issue in McHenry County, these vending machines are now being utilized. It took just two and a half months to plan the delivery of the vending machine, and the first month has gone just as hoped. A quick visit down to the café showed that several Narcan boxes had already been taken, so how will they get restocked?
The Department of Health works with campus police to ensure that the vending machine is filled and ready to distribute. Boldman said that they will be refilling it at least once a week to ensure it never runs out, and people in need will be tended to — students and non-students.
Usually, making an investment in something like this would be difficult to fund, possibly even requiring money from MCC students, however, Boldman explained: “It is funded by a grant that the McHenry County Department of Health has…it is not MCC funded.”
County health department Community Information Coordinator, Nick Kubiak said: “The vending machines were funded by the Local Health Department Opioid Surveillance and Response Grant. This grant was funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Overdose Data to Action (OD2A), Cooperative Agreement, and was awarded by the Illinois Department of Public Health to McHenry County Department of Health from September 2022-August 2023.”
This grant allowed MCC to obtain the vending machine without any cost to the college. Thanks to everyone involved, the efforts of MCC to reduce opioid overdoses and stigmas surrounding addiction are at play and thriving.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with addiction, there are 24/7 resources available — McHenry County Crisis Line: 1-800-892-8900; National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988 (call or text), Crisis Text Line: Text “HOME” to 741741, as well as Togetherall, and Talk Space. There are people and resources at your fingertips, there is no shame in getting help.
