KENMORE, NY (WKBW) — There is a new way of fighting the drug overdose epidemic to save lives. A Narcan vending machine is now installed outside the Kenmore Fire Department.
“And down it comes,” declared Matt Thompson as he removed a Narcan box from a vending machine.
A life-lifesaving box of Narcan is now free of charge from the vending machine outside the Kenmore Fire Department on Nash Road in the Village of Kenmore.
“And Narcan it gives people a second chance, right? You can go to treatment. You can turn your whole life around,” remarked Thompson.
As Thompson demonstrated how easy it is to use this machine, he told me how Narcan saved his life after he became addicted to opiates while hospitalized for Crohn's Disease.
“And one night, it was March 4, 2018, I overdosed and one of the first things that had to happen was Narcan. It's a lifesaver,” explained Thompson.
Avi Israel, president & founder of Save the Michaels of the World, lost his son to addiction similar to Thompson's story. That's why he's committed to setting up these vending machines.
“So any way that we could give a chance for people to be able to get this, it's a plus. It's going to save lives,” Israel noted.
The goal is to get more of these Narcan vending machines in other parts of our region where there are some very high rates of overdoses.
“Some of the communities that we want to put machines, and the first thing that you hear is – ‘well we don't want those kinds of people to come down’. Those kinds of people are your neighbors. Could be your kid or family member, it could be the person that just across the street from you. It could be anybody,” replied Israel.
“If somebody’s not breathing, we've lost the chance to help them,” Jennifer Garrgian responded.
Garrigan is with the Erie County Health Department. She says the County's Opiate Task Force continues working to place Narcan at sites across the county, especially as our region has become a major epicenter for fentanyl-laced drugs.
“Please be careful. Our drugs have changed significantly. The stimulants are a huge issue right now. Over 80 percent of our fatalities are cocaine laced with fentanyl, so coming in places that people are not expecting it and they're not ready to deal with it,” warned Garrigan.
Garrigan tells 7 News to date they have distributed 39,500 Narcan boxes across Erie County to date.
As of July, Erie County's Opiate Task Force reports that 245 people have lost their lives to an overdose in 2023. That puts the county on pace for 420 by year-end. Deaths have been on the rise since the pandemic began reversing a downward trend that hit a five-year low in 2019.
56 percent of overdose deaths happened in Buffalo this year, but it’s not just a city issue. Nearly 30 percent were in the suburbs.
Two men, who are volunteering with Save the Michaels to help set up the machine, both faced alcohol addiction.
They're now in full recovery, and willing to share their story to help anyone with addiction.
“Recovery loudly so others don't have to die silently,” recited Adam Taylor.
“Take it day by day, one day at a time. That's what helps you know you don't worry about the future. Don't worry about yesterday. just worry about the present. Stay in stay in today,” described Clayton Faison.
