• By Annie Sims
• Posted Wednesday, August 24, 2022

Narcan Vending Machine now in Detention Center lobby

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO), Forsyth Regional Opioid and Substance Use Team (FROST), and Forsyth County are excited to collaboratively announce that a Naloxone/Narcan vending machine is now located in the Forsyth County Law Enforcement Detention Center (FCLEDC).

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 107,000 people died from drug overdoses across the country in 2021. An additional study by the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill found that individuals leaving jail are 40 times more likely to overdose than the general population, with the highest risk period being in the first two (2) weeks after being released from incarceration. In light of this study and hoping to impact Forsyth County, the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) applied for a grant through the National Center for State Courts to provide easy access to Naloxone/Narcan.

FROST was provided a Naloxone/Narcan vending machine that is now located in the FCLEDC and accessible to the public for free. Individuals can pick up Naloxone/Narcan from the vending machine at no cost in the FCLEDC Front Lobby, and each kit comes with instructions on how to administer it in times of need. There is no required interaction with FCLEDC staff for individuals accessing the vending machine, and the FCLEDC Front Lobby is open to the public seven (7) days a week from 8 am-8 pm. FROST will maintain the vending machine, ensuring the supply remains plentiful. “Anything that is life-saving, we want it to be accessible to our community.” Sheriff Bobby F. Kimbrough, Jr.

Forsyth County is one of five counties selected in North Carolina as a recipient of the equipment. The other four (4) counties include Wake, Cumberland, Buncombe, and Wilkes.

“We are thankful that Forsyth County was chosen for this vending machine and that it will lead to many saved lives. We want people using substances in Forsyth County to know that their County and their leaders care about them and want them to stay alive." Amanda Clark, Substance Use Educator, FROST Lead.