WAUPACA, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) – Waupaca County is looking to create a stronger and healthier community. And now it’s the latest county to make health and safety items more readily available — for free.
There’s a new addition to the Waupaca County Courthouse — a public health vending machine.
Waupaca County Public Health Services received a $50,000 grant from the state to make a variety of health and safety items available to whomever wants them or needs them.
“Anybody walking through the courthouse and anybody just in the area can come and vend them for free,” said Jed Wohlt, public health officer.
There’s a number of different items in the machine, but a large focus is on NARCAN, a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose and fentanyl test strips.
Wohlt said, “I think that’s been something we’ve been trying to do that last several years to provide lifesaving products to everybody. It’s been an ongoing issue with opioids and overdoses and if we have a lifesaving medication for people to utilize we want to make that available an accessible.”
Other items available from the machine are COVID tests, condoms, first aid kits, gunlocks and even tick removal kits.
According to Wohlt, “Little bit of everything for things that I think people really use. We have high incident rates of tick borne illnesses in the county and this is an opportunity to get some products up to them to help prevent illness and disease.”
While in a public place, the vending machine allows for a bit of anonymity. Anyone can walk up to the machine, enter their zip code, make their selection of up to two items and walk away with what they need – no questions asked.
“You can just kind of get it without having to maybe go someplace where you might be worried about where you’re getting it or who might be around. This is just an opportunity to come at your own convenience, get the products and go home,” added Wohlt.
In addition to the machine at the courthouse, the county also installed one at Compassionate Connections in Clintonville. But unlike the courthouse machine, the one in Clintonville is available 24 hours a day.
The machines may be new to Waupaca County but it’s not a new concept to the region, leading local officials to believe once more people know this is available in Waupaca and Clintonville – its popularity will take off.
Grand Chute installed a Public Health Vending Machine almost a year ago and so far nearly 400 doses of NARCAN have been vended and more than a hundred gunlocks.
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