Kentucky’s Narcan Vending Machine Makes National News
A Narcan vending machine installed outside the police department in Vine Grove was emptied several times, and more than 400 doses have been dispensed.
The machine has dispensed exactly 428 doses since it was installed in October 2022.
“I know that it’s not just the people in Vine Grove that are taking it,” Vine Grove Police Chief Kenny Mattingly said. “So I welcome people from anywhere to come and get it if it’s not available to them.”
Mattingly said people from outside Hardin County have been taking advantage of the resource and he has received calls from other police departments interested in the program. Mattingly was interviewed about the program on Fox News Monday morning, where he said the county’s ambulance service has responded to 468 overdose calls this year alone.
“It’s everyone from the elderly grandparent whose kid or grandkid has an addiction issue, up to the mechanical contractors that work as far as Louisville,” he said.
When WDRB crews stopped by the police department to interview Mattingly, a resident stopped by to pick up a free dose of Narcan. The man, Jerry Glass, is not a drug addict. He is a concerned and prepared neighbor.
“If you don’t have this, something bad could happen to somebody and you wouldn’t be there to rescue them,” Glass said.
Glass is an example of people taking advantage of the free resource. He and others want to be prepared in the instance they witness an overdose.
“I’m doing this to save lives of people who would not normally be saved,” Glass said.
Narcan can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose if given in time. Each package from the machine has one dose of Narcan. The machine can be accessed 24/7.
“My goal is to give people an opportunity to stay alive long enough to make a decision,” Mattingly said.
The free Narcan is paid for by Communicare, a mental health and substance abuse center, and the Lincoln Trail District Health Department.
