Houston County Health Department installs Harm Reduction Vending Machine, offering Narcan, testing kits, hygiene supplies

WARNER ROBINS — At the Houston County Health Department, an unassuming vending machine stands, not for snacks or drinks, but to save lives.

The North Central Health District calls the dispenser the Harm Reduction Vending Machine. Opioid program manager Marissa Cooling described it as “low barrier access to harm reduction supplies.”

Inside the machine, you’ll find:

• Naloxone (also known as Narcan), a fast-acting medication that can reverse the effects of an overdose
• Fentanyl and xylazine testing kits
• Hygiene kits
• Feminine hygiene products
• Condoms, with a link to have an HIV testing kit sent

Supplies are free of charge and completely anonymous.

“Anyone can walk in, they can grab any item they need, and they don’t have to provide any demographics, any personal information,” Cooling said.

Cooling said the department secured state funds through the National Distributors and Manufacturers Opioid Settlement. The total was just under $500,000.

The funds aim to expand harm reduction efforts in Bibb and Houston Counties, the most populous in the North Central Health District.

More vending machines are planned for other counties. Easily accessible porch boxes in Houston County with harm reduction supplies are also in the works.

Overdose numbers are declining, according to Cooling and Coroner James Williams. However, Cooling said the county has seen an increase in fentanyl in the illicit supply.

“There’s a lot of folks who might choose to use a substance and not know fentanyl could be in it. The substance could be laced. We really see that as more of a poisoning. If people don’t know what they’re taking, we still want to keep them safe and alive,” Cooling said.

Partnerships with local law enforcement and emergency management have allowed first responders to carry Narcan. This resulted in a 50% decrease in overdose deaths from 2023 to 2024, according to Cooling.

“We are seeing the numbers go down, but we want to keep making them go further and further down,” Cooling said.

The Coroner’s Office has partnered with local organizations to bring opioid awareness assemblies to schools and the community. Williams believes proactive measures are essential to prevent community harm.

“Anything positive, proactive that we can do in our community to try to help prevent a loss of a life due to a drug overdose, especially fentanyl, I fully support, and I’m glad to see proactive measures be taken,” Williams said.

Critics of harm reduction measures say it enables drug use. Cooling and Williams disagree.

“I don’t see it that way. I think it’s an avenue. If someone needs Narcan administered, the more it’s available, the more likely it can prevent an overdose death from happening,” Williams said.

Williams cautioned the community that people often underestimate the chances of such incidents happening to them. He reported cases where fentanyl was added to what people thought were other drugs.

“Unless you get prescription medication from a pharmacy, you do not know what you’re taking. Any illegal drugs bought off the street—marijuana, cocaine, or prescription drugs—you never know what’s in it,” Williams said.

Cooling said success for the machine looks like further reducing overdoses, breaking stigmas of drug use and seeking help, and offering life-saving options to underserved communities.

“We want you safe. We want you alive. You matter. Resources are available, should you choose to use them,” Cooling said.

For more resources, visit the North Central Health District’s website.