Jail vending machine offering Narcan kits
Doses available to inmates upon release
The Oakland County Jail has a new vending machine — but it’s not the typical one filled with candy bars, potato chips and other snacks.
This one is stocked with Narcan kits, available for free to inmates upon their release.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, the jail is the largest in the state to dispense the nasal rescue kits that can reverse the effects of opioids, potentially stopping a fatal overdose. The vending machine is located near the jail’s discharge area and, as part of the prisoner release process, inmates can take a kit for personal use or for a family member who may be using heroin or other opioids.
The kits each contain two doses of naloxone, commonly known as Narcan, provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services at no cost to the Oakland County Jail. Grants covered the cost of the vending machine, the sheriff’s office said.
“We have seen a significant increase in opioid deaths and instances where law enforcement is called on during a crisis,” Sheriff Michael Bouchard stated in a news release. “This is a nationwide crisis as it was just announced we have hit an all-time high in overdose deaths in the last 12 months. This is everyone’s problem. This program gives us one more tool to help our residents. We have an opportunity to save lives and provide a second chance.”
Fatal ODs spiking
According to the news release, the sheriff’s office is one of the first in the state to participate in the Narcan project through Wayne State University’s School of Social Work and its Center for Behavioral Health and Justice. The project is patterned after a 2019 program in Los Angeles where more than 30,000 doses were distributed in 2020.
The sheriff’s office cites pub
“We have seen a significant increase in opioid deaths and instances where law enforcement is called on during a crisis. This is a nationwide crisis as it was just announced we have hit an all-time high in overdose deaths in the last 12 months. This is everyone’s problem. This program gives us one more tool to help our residents. We have an opportunity to save lives and provide a second chance.”
— Sheriff Michael Bouchard
lished reports stating that in a 12-month period ending April 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died of overdoses, up almost 30 percent from the 78,000 deaths in the year prior. That’s according to provisional figures from the National Center for Health Statistics, the sheriff’s office said, and reflects the first time overdose deaths in the United States topped 100,000 in one year — more than the number of deaths from car crashes and shootings combined. It’s further stated that overdose deaths have more than doubled since 2015.
Oakland County reportedly had 255 drug-related deaths last year, with 211 involving opioids. Deputies frequently respond to incidents requiring Narcan to be administered, resulting in at least seven people revived from overdoses in the past two weeks alone, according to the sheriff’s office.
Last year, the sheriff’s office reported 67 Narcan saves. So far this year, as of Oct. 31 deputies used Narcan rescue kits in 124 incidents and were successful in all but eight cases, the sheriff’s office said.
Other communities are reporting multiple unsuspecting people have been overdosing on fentanyllaced marijuana, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff’s office urges Michigan legislators to take action that ultimately punishes unlicensed sellers of marijuana and those who sell marijuana that isn’t inspected for content and safety.