Manitowoc launches first public health vending machine to support opioid overdose prevention
MANITOWOC, Wis. (WFRV) – The City of Manitowoc unveiled its first public health vending machine on Wednesday.
The vending machine will be free, anonymous, and open at all hours of the day. Manitowoc officials decided to bring this to their city after seeing the success in Appleton and Oshkosh.
Austin Straubel Airport prepares for surge of visitors during NFL Draft
'Anybody that's struggling with an opioid addiction really needs to have access to NARCAN because it's the only proven method to reverse overdoses,' said Alex Hunt, The Haven Executive Director. 'That access can be hard sometimes, especially for people who are using it and don't want to walk into a clinic or something like that. It gives them immediate access without any stigma or barrier right there at hand.'
The vending machine is at 621 York Street, just off of 7th Street in downtown Manitowoc.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Joplin police department secures NARCAN for K9 safety
(KODE & KSN) — You've likely heard about the risks for a drug overdose with even the smallest amount of fentanyl. It's a risk that isn't limited to humans. K9 officers can face the same consequences from detecting opioids. They can be treated with Narcan, the same medication used for a human opioid overdose. The Joplin Police Department recently got preventative assistance with additional doses of the drug from the Indiana group, 'Protecting K9 Heroes'. 'So, if the handler decides there is too much risk to his K9 partner, his dog won't be utilized. And so, they go to great extremes to ensure the safety of the K9s. And this Narcan is just one more way to ensure they are protecting their dogs. And the department is protecting our K9s,' said JPD Capt. Austin Wolf. There's a risk with any of the drugs a K9 can detect—but fentanyl poses the greatest danger since even a tiny amount can be fatal. A risk with any of the drugs A K9 can detect, but fentanyl poses the greatest danger since even a tiny amount can be fatal. Other agencies, including the Jasper County Sheriff's Office, have Narcan in possession for their K9 units. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
5 hours ago
- CBS News
Drug overdose deaths down 25% in Washtenaw County, health officials say
Overdose deaths in Washtenaw County dropped dramatically, according to a new report from the Washtenaw County Health Department. The department found deaths from drug overdoses dropped 25% between 2023 and 2024. This report comes as Washtenaw County also reaches a nine-year low in opioid related overdose deaths, a huge turnaround in a trend that was increasing every year between 2019 and 2022. Experts are thanking the accessibility of emergency treatments like naloxone. They're giving them away for free at the Washtenaw Health Department, as you can't put a price on saving someone's life. They say it's a big reason why total overdose deaths went down from 88 in 2023 to 66 in 2024. "We're really attributing the decrease to a lot more resources being available in our county. We have the naloxone kits pretty widely available in the county, including here at Towner. We have a vending machine where free naloxone can be taken," said WCHD health promotion coordinator Deanna Price. While 42 is the fewest number of opioid related overdose deaths for the county in the past nine years, nearly all of them still involved fentanyl in 2024 (93%), just like in 2023 (95%). Price says fentanyl testing strips are also free at the health department and can easily save someone from making a fatal mistake. "So the goal is really making it as accessible as possible, where people can easily grab these kits and then have them when they're using. Knowing that you can test these things before using may be making using a bit safer," Price said. With $16 million in opioid settlement funds over the next 18 years, the health department is already reviewing grant proposals from local organizations that also want to see overdose numbers continue to drop. "We've had several organizations apply for this RFP and they'll be scored. Then we hope to have the final award recipients sometime this summer," Price said. The Washtenaw Health Department created a list of locations you can pick up free Narcan (brand name naloxone) and fentanyl testing strips, while also compiling a checklist of how to decrease your risk of an overdose if you're using: • Test drugs using fentanyl test strips • Avoid using alone and take turns when using with others • Take care if you have not used in a while • Avoid mixing drugs, including alcohol • Have naloxone ready and know how to use it
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Couple allegedly bought more Narcan instead of calling 911 in toddler's suspected overdose death: Docs
Note: Information from court documents below provide details into a toddler's death from alleged neglect. Discretion is advised. HOMER GLEN, Ill. (WGN) — A Illinois couple bought more Narcan via Uber for their 2-year-old, who was going through a suspected deadly drug overdose at the time, instead of calling 911, court documents reveal. First-degree murder charges were announced Monday night for Edward Weiher, 49, and his fiancé, Alexa Balen, 28, after they initially faced multiple neglect charges last November. Police in Will County were called to the home of Weiher and Balen just after 11:30 p.m. on Nov. 6, 2024, for reports of an unresponsive child and a possible carbon monoxide leak. They found Weiher, who owns the home, performing chest compressions on two-year-old Trinity Balen-Weiher on an ottoman in the living room when they arrived. Balen and her 6-year-old daughter were also inside the home. Drug overdoses see major decline — except in these 2 states Police, upon entering, alleged the large residence was trashed with garbage, food, blood and feces on the floor, court documents reveal. Police also observed a white substance, suspected to be cocaine and heroin, spread throughout the countertops and tables. Additionally, several pieces of burnt tin foil were found on the ground, believed to be used for heroin. Suspected heroin was also found on a mattress in the living room where Trinity and the rest of the family slept that night, according to authorities. Weiher, speaking with the police who arrived at the scene, allegedly claimed his handheld meter registered a reading of natural carbon monoxide at 6,000 parts per million, prompting him to turn off the boiler and open the windows. Levels that high would cause residents to be unconscious and possibly die within 20 minutes, according to multiple studies. A utility company was called to the scene as police continued to investigate. A small gas leak was found in the basement, but it was not determined to be a lethal amount. Balen was interviewed by detectives first at the scene. She admitted to police that she and Weiher used heroin on a regular basis after initially claiming Trinity stopped breathing due to suspected high levels of carbon monoxide. Balen said she wanted to call 911 after the couple failed to correctly administer a dose of Narcan, a drug that can reverses the effects of an opioid overdose as it's happening, to Trinity. She claimed that Weiher said they should not call 911, so they ordered more Narcan through Uber, according to court documents. The Narcan did not revive Trinity and she stopped breathing, documents stated. Police responded after the incident was reported to 911 operators. Trinity was transported to the hospital by authorities, where she died. Child hurt in car crash at Illinois after-school camp dies, raising death toll to 5 Weiher, after initially claiming Trinity was unconscious due to carbon monoxide poisoning, ultimately told authorities the same story as Balen. Police later recovered approximately nine grams of suspected heroin in various locations throughout the home that were allegedly in 'reaching distance' of Trinity. A small bag of 21 pills, commonly known as Xanax, were also recovered. Balen's 6-year-old daughter was taken into the custody of DCFS. Police said she had fentanyl and cocaine in her system, tests revealed. Weiher and Balen were taken into custody and faced initial charges of child endangerment, child endangerment resulting in death, and two counts of possession of a controlled substance. Detectives conducted a forensic investigation of Balen's phone and determined that 911 was not called for approximately 3 hours and 41 minutes into Trinity's suspected overdose. Additionally, Balen is accused of searching 'how to stop an od' and 'how to stop an od without naloxone' on her phone during the incident. The digital receipt of the Uber purchase of Narcan was also recovered. A pathologist concluded that Trinity 'would have survived' if EMS was activated when Trinity became symptomatic of an overdose, documents alleged. A first-degree murder indictment was filed on May 22 for both Weiher and Balen. They were not rebooked on the charge of first-degree murder and a judge granted them pre-trial release. In the state's motion to deny pre-trial release, it cited that Weiher and Balen could be a risk to leave the area due to 'significant funds,' claiming Weiher made $750,000 in 2021, court documents state. The couple's defense attorney told Nexstar's WGN the funds are in a trust and Weiher and Balen showed up to their prior two court dates knowing detention was a possibility. Their next court date is scheduled for June 27. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
