Vending machines: A tool for distributing harm reduction equipment

Vending machines are increasingly used to provide communities with access to equipment that can reduce harm and save lives. For people who use drugs, this may include syringes to prevent transmission of infectious diseases and naloxone to reverse opioid overdoses and prevent death. Via the National Survey of Syringe Services Programs, 16.8% of 529 syringe services programs (SSPs) reported providing syringes, naloxone, or both through vending machines in 2023. After accounting for other   characteristics, SSPs offering syringes through vending machines distributed syringes at a 28% higher rate than those that did not (p=0.02) and SSPs offering naloxone through vending machines distributed doses at a 12% higher rate than those that did not (p=0.08).

Staff members from 12 SSPs (ranging in organizational type and region) shared their experiences planning, implementing, and stocking vending machines. The lessons they learned are summarized here in hopes they will be helpful to SSPs and other harm reduction organizations interested in implementing vending machines.

Philbrick S, Ballantyne B, Smith J, Christopher M, Selick M, Erickson E, Ray B, Lambdin BH, & Patel SV (2025). Vending machines: A tool for distributing harm reduction equipment. RTI International. doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14502579.

https://harmreduction.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Vending-Machines-for-Harm-Reduction-2025.pdf