‘Judgment-free zone’: Delaware rolls out harm reduction vending machines

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This story was supported by a statehouse coverage grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.

Delaware is rolling out harm reduction vending machines to help fight the opioid epidemic throughout the state.

The five vending machines are outside and the items, which include overdose antidote naloxone, safe sex kits and other hygiene products, are free. They’re available day and night and will be restocked by the Department of Health and Social Services’ Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health.

Lt. Gov. Bethany Hall Long said the machines offer products that will save lives, such as wound care kits for people addicted to xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that can cause irreversible skin ulcers.

“Many times, individuals have fear or stigma,” she said. “So we want a 24/7 judgment-free zone where individuals can access critical and often life-saving kits.”

The vending machines are located statewide, with sites at four Brandywine Counseling locations in Wilmington, Newark, Dover and Milford, as well as the Georgetown Pallet Village. DHSS partnered with Brandywine Counseling and Community Services, a nonprofit that provides addiction care, to implement this pilot program.

Hall Long said the vending machines would also provide items that benefit public health, such as tests for sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.

DSAMH Director Joanna Champney said the project was funded by federal and state money, along with donations. She said the machines fill a need for those who are not yet ready to seek treatment.

“This provides a confidential, very quick and discreet option for people to get what they need,” she said. “This is part of our effort to really de-stigmatize accessing the support that people need in order to protect themselves from overdose death.”

DHSS announced in April that drug overdoses were slightly down for the first quarter of the year and for the first time in a decade, although the data did show rising fatal overdoses and drug use in Black and Hispanic/Latino communities. But in May the state did see spikes in opioid overdoses in Kent and Sussex counties.

Addiction resources

• HelpIsHereDE.com
• Delaware Hope Line: 1-833-9-HOPEDE