Trinity Health Oakland Installs Vending Machine That Dispenses Free, Lifesaving Narcan Kits

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Von Lozon
Pager: (248) 725-2400
von.lozon@trinity-health.org

PONTIAC, Mich. (April 17, 2025) – A vending machine that dispenses Narcan and other resources at no cost is now available at Trinity Health Oakland. This addition follows in the footsteps of sister hospitals Trinity Health Livingston and Trinity Health Ann Arbor, which also recently installed Narcan-dispensing vending machines.

The vending machine can hold 72 doses of Narcan, Deterra Drug Deactivation Bags, Fentanyl and Xylazine Testing Strips, and locally relevant resource pamphlets. These resources are completely free of charge and are accessible 24/7.

The vending machine was donated by the Alliance of Coalitions and will be regularly stocked and maintained by the organization.      

"When resources like Narcan are accessible around the clock and free of charge, it makes access to lifesaving treatment much easier for the people that need it most,” said Kimberly Snowdon, director of social care for Trinity Health Michigan. “This vending machine will have a real and meaningful impact for the communities we serve as we work together to combat substance use disorder and to reduce the number of tragic and unnecessary deaths.”

The initiative to acquire the vending machine was driven by the efforts of Trinity Health Oakland’s Community Health Workers, who recognized the need for this resource in the community. This is part of a broader, county-wide effort led by the Alliance of Coalitions to make overdose-reversing tools available in as many communities as possible.

Narcan can be lifesaving in the event of an opioid overdose by quickly restoring normal breathing when it has slowed or stopped. By reversing the effects of opioids, Narcan provides a crucial window of time for emergency responders to arrive and deliver additional care. Acting fast with Narcan can mean the difference between life, death, and permanent brain injury.