Delaware adds 5 free vending machines with lifesaving medicine, self-care items

Delaware has five new vending machines that will offer lifesaving medicine as well as self-care items for free.

Two of these new vending machines are located at the Brandywine Counseling Facility on Lancaster Avenue in Wilmington and the facility in Newark. They are completely free to use and available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The vending machines will offer an assortment of items such as Naloxone kits, Xylazine test strips, Deterra bags, wound care kits, items to help with physical and dental hygiene, and other self-care tools.

This is part of a pilot program in the state.

“Yes, we are early compared to our sister states, 100% we are early adopters to it. We are really excited about it, and we want to be an example,” Rebecca Urey, Harm Reduction Coordinator in Delaware, said.

In addition to a harm reduction vending machine in Wilmington and the one at the Brandywine Counseling facility, there are three others.

The vending machines will be placed at four Brandywine Counseling locations, as well as the Georgetown Pallet Village.

Brandywine Counseling Locations:

• 2713 Lancaster Ave, Wilmington, Del. 19805
• 24 Brookhill Drive, Newark, Del. 19702
• 698 S. Bay Road Dover, Del. 19901
• 769 E. Masten Circle, Milford, Del. 19963

Pallet Village location:

• Springboard Pallet Village, 411 Kimmey Street, Georgetown, Del. 19947

The one in Dover is the first to be stocked and the others are expected to be ready in the next day or so.

David Humes lost his son to an overdose and is now an addiction advocate who has been working hard to help other parents be aware of how overdose kits work.

“The naloxone you find in these kits ideally are for a dumb dad like me to administer. What we want to do is just get that person breathing again, call 911 and hopefully first responders will be there to take care of that person in medical distress,” Humes said.

Using the vending machines is a completely anonymous process, the state will only see a record of what products are being used so they can restock them.

“Despite how far we’ve come with this there’s still a huge stigma. There’s stigma about the person in use and stigma about his parents and loved ones,” Humes said.

The one in Dover is already being used and Delaware health officials say if the pilot program is a success more vending machines could be added around the state.

“Whether it’s 12 p.m. or 3 a.m., these new vending machine sites are essential to removing the stigma around receiving critical, lifesaving supplies,” said Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall-Long, Chair of the Behavioral Health Consortium, in a statement. “These are important tools in the toolkit to save lives and meet folks where they are. Substance use disorder is a disease. I’m so proud of Delaware for modeling the way we should treat our residents with respect and dignity and ensure their success in all aspects of life."