Milwaukee County adds 8 new harm reduction vending machines to combat overdoses

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – A continued push to help those struggling with substance abuse in Milwaukee County is expanding.

Last year, the county installed 11 harm-reduction vending machines to combat the opioid crisis and has distributed 17,000 free harm-reduction items since. And now, they are adding to that number.

On Monday, the Milwaukee County Department of Health and Human Services announced the addition of eight new machines in local businesses, healthcare clinics, and community organizations. The machines are stocked with harm reduction and prevention supplies including fentanyl test strips, medication deactivation pouches, gun locks, and more, to combat overdose deaths and gun violence.

Milwaukee County Chief Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston said that while it is too early to tell definitively, they are seeing signs of a possible decline in overdoses so far this year.

"We can certainly be hopeful, but hope is not enough," Weston said. "We must keep working as a community, both upstream and downstream, to prevent overdoses from opioids."

The machines have also been stocked with a combined fentanyl/xylazine test strip, a new item included as Weston said that nearly 30% of opioid overdoses in Milwaukee involve xylazine, an animal tranquilizer.

The Vin Baker Recovery Center is one of the locations for the new machines, which will feature pamphlets explaining how to use the items. Milwaukee Bucks Assistant Coach Vin Baker, who struggled with addiction, tells CBS 58 that the vending machine is an important addition to the addiction treatment center.

"One thing about going through and getting sober is you have to be intentional about getting sober on so many levels," he said. "This is showing that the community, our leadership in our community, are intentional about getting people healthy and sober, and that's what we're here for at Vin Baker Recovery."

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Harm reduction vending machine locations:

• Greendale Police Department
5650 Parking St, Greendale, WI 53129

•Wisconsin Community Services, Inc. (WCS)
2610 W. North Ave, Milwaukee, WI 53205

•Community Advocates
728 N James Lovell St, Milwaukee, WI 53233

•Outreach Community Health Centers
210 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53212

•AMRI Counseling Services
4001 W. Capitol Drive, Milwaukee, WI 53216

•Diverse & Resilient
2439 N Holton St, Milwaukee, WI 53212

•Hillview Building
1615 S 22nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53204

•Forest Home Health Center
1316 Forest Home Ave, Milwaukee, WI, 53204

•Oak Creek Fire Department
7000 S 6th St, Oak Creek, WI 53154

•Milwaukee County Community Reintegration Center
8885 S 68th St, Franklin, WI 53132

•Dr. Martin L. King Community Center
1531 W Vliet St, Milwaukee, WI 53205

•First Step
2835 N 32nd St, Milwaukee, WI 53210

•Clement J Zablocki VA Medical Center
5000 W National Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53295

•4th Dimension Sobriety
500 E Center St, Milwaukee, WI 53212

•Wisconsin Community Services, Inc.
3732 W Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 200 Milwaukee, WI 53208

•Benedict Center (Sisters Program)
209 W Orchard Street, Milwaukee, WI 53204

•Milwaukee County Parks: Kozy
2201 S 7th Street Milwaukee, WI 53215

•Rogers Behavioral Health - West Allis Campus
11101 W Lincoln Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53227

•Vin Baker Recovery
4757 N 76th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53218