BOSTON — Bridge Over Troubled Waters, a Boston nonprofit helping teens and young adults experiencing homelessness, now has a public health vending machine.
The vending machine contains items ranging from lip balm to Narcan.
“It’s really to provide low-barrier access to public health supplies and resources,” said Bridge Program Director Peter Ducharme.
You can find it inside the Bridge’s welcome center, located on West Street downtown.
“There’s stuff around opioid prevention, stuff around infection and disease prevention, and then products around health and wellness, so that includes access to naloxone, which reverses overdoses,” said Ducharme.
Bridge also makes sure those getting naloxone or Narcan know how to use it.
Other products available include fentanyl testing strips, pregnancy tests, toothpaste, hand warmers, and Band-Aids.
“I think part of having the vending machine is to give people sort of free convenience access and reduce a stigma,” explained Ducharme.
The machine is now 1 of 5 in the city funded by the Boston Public Health Commission through the city’s opioid response settlement fund.
Once a teenager or young adult registers with Bridge, they get a code that can be used at any of the machines.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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