Three vending machines in Stockton this month began carrying free opioid overdose medication, according to San Joaquin County Public Health Services.

Last year, public health officials had placed the vending machines throughout the city stocked with free health products such as masks, sanitizing wipes, COVID-19 testing kits and hand sanitizers.

Naloxone, an opioid antagonist medication used to save lives during an opioid overdose, was added to three of five vending machines.

Packages of life-saving Narcan (naloxone) sit next to disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer inside a vending machine at the County Public Health Services administrative office in Stockton on Jan. 18, 2024. Items in the machine can be accessed for free. (Harika Maddala/Bay City News)

The nasal medication temporarily reverses the effects of an overdose from fentanyl, heroin, morphine, oxycodone, methadone, hydrocodone, and codeine.

“Naloxone is safe and easy to use, works almost immediately, and is not addictive,” said county public health officials.

The locations of the vending machines are at the first-floor lobby of the county Human Services Agency office at 333 E. Washington St., the Stockton Metropolitan Airport located at 5000 S. Airport Way, and at the Public Health Services administrative office at 1601 E. Hazelton Ave.

“By providing free naloxone in our public health vending machines, we increase the likelihood that it can be used by the public to save lives in our county.” Greg Diederich, San Joaquin County Health Care Services Agency director

“The research has shown that administering naloxone buys valuable time to get someone treated by a medical professional,” said Greg Diederich, San Joaquin County Health Care Services Agency director. “With a growing ease-of-access to fentanyl-laced drugs and other very powerful opioids, this continues to pose a safety concern for our region. By providing free naloxone in our public health vending machines, we increase the likelihood that it can be used by the public to save lives in our county.”

Victoria Franco is a reporter based in Stockton covering San Joaquin County for Bay City News Foundation and its nonprofit news site Local News Matters. She is a Report for America corps member.

Victoria Franco is a Stockton-based reporter covering the diverse news around the Central Valley as part of the Report for America program. As a Stockton native, Franco is proud to cover stories within her community and report a variety of coverage. She is a San Jose State University alumna with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism. In her collegiate years she was Managing Editor for the Spartan Daily. From her time at the Spartan Daily she helped lead her staff to California College Media Awards and a General Excellence first place. Victoria encourages readers to email her story tips and ideas at victoria.franco@baycitynews.com.