New York City Installs Vending Machines That Dispense Crack Pipes, Narcan As City's Drug Crisis Worsens

It would seem that in the war against drugs, a winning side has finally come out on top, and it is not the United States government. On Monday, officials in New York City revealed a brand new state-of-the-art vending machine that will offer such fantastic wares like crack pipes and lip balm, even including Narcan for those New York City drug addicts that overdose. 

The vending machine will be one of four different devices that will be scattered throughout the city’s most drug-heavy neighborhoods. The vending machine won’t cost anything to operate and will entirely be paid for by the city to attempt to combat overdoses within the Big Apple, according to New York City Health.

“We are in the midst of an overdose crisis in our city, which is taking a fellow New Yorker from us every three hours and is a major cause of falling life expectancy in NYC,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan said in the statement. “But we will continue to fight to keep our neighbors and loved ones alive with care, compassion, and action. Public health vending machines are an innovative way to meet people where they are and to put life-saving tools like naloxone in their hands. We’ll leave no stone unturned until we reverse the trends in opioid-related deaths in our city.”

"This public health vending machine will be a game-changer for this part of East Brooklyn. With it, we can provide free and easy access to life-saving tools that prevent overdoses, infections, and other health risks associated with substance use. The machine also provides essential items that can improve the quality of life of all New Yorkers, regardless of their income, insurance, or housing status,” said Perry Perlmutter, the Interim President & CEO of Services for the Underserved, a social advocacy group. “By installing machines like this one in strategic locations, we are fulfilling our commitment to reducing harm, promoting wellness, and supporting recovery for our most vulnerable communities."

The release stated that there were rising levels of overdoses within the Big Apple, with 2,668 overdose deaths in 2021 compared to 2,103 overdose deaths in 2020. The statement also says that 84 percent of the deaths from overdoses result from an opioid, with fentanyl specifically being responsible for 80 percent of deaths.

The vending machines certainly come off as a nice little gesture from the city to help drug addicts, but it also comes as a sign of defeat in properly ensuring that these drugs aren’t on the streets in the first place. It’s no wonder NYC has such a rampant drug issue, though it makes sense when the New York District Attorney Alvin Bragg doesn’t even attempt to prosecute criminals within the city and simply opts to release them back into the streets.