Narcan vending machines installed around Southwest Washington

BATTLE GROUND, Wash. (KPTV) — In a new effort to make Narcan more accessible, five vending machines have been placed in health and behavioral centers in three Southwest Washington counties to give community members the ability to save lives.

Southwest Washington Accountable Community of Health (SWACH) worked with Beacon Behavioral Health to secure a $165,000 grant to pay for the vending machines and boxes of Narcan to be dispensed. There are vending machines located at Klickitat Valley Health Hospital, North Shore Medical Group, Lifeline Connections, Recovery Café, and Xchange Recovery. Vicky Smith is the program director for Xchange recovery and she said these vending machines help break down the stigma surrounding addiction.

“There are so many families in this community that are silently struggling with a loved one that’s entrapped in addiction and they don’t know where to go,” Smith said. “Now they’ll know where to go.”

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