Free Narcan Vending Machines Are Coming to Dallas

In an effort to decrease the rate of opioid overdose deaths, an initiative launches this month to install Narcan vending machines in North Texas.

By Vanessa Quilantan

September 10, 2024

Local artists have been enlisted to design cost-free Narcan vending machines in DFW. Anthony Delabano

Audio By Carbonatix

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September is National Recovery Month, and to mark the occasion, nonprofit organizations Conscience Conduit, Livegy, Association of Persons Affected by Addiction, Regular People, Deep Ellum Foundation, Parkland Hospital and Foundation 45 have partnered to debut North Texas’ first free Narcan vending machines.

The machines will provide Dallas locals with no-cost, easy access to the life-saving over-the-counter drug, also known as Naloxone, which has been proven 99% effective at rapidly reversing an opioid overdose if administered immediately. Starting with an installation at Deep Ellum Community Center, the collaborative initiative plans to expand vending machine locations to high schools and public institutions across Texas.

An open-to-the-public launch event will take place at Deep Ellum Community Center at noon on Sunday, Sept. 15. Guests will be given educational training on how to administer Narcan doses and will enjoy non-alcoholic mocktails provided by Beyond The Bar (a local, zero-proof bottle shop and tasting room).

To engage the community, the talents of local artists Kaia Bellanca, Tyson Summers and Ace Cordell have been tapped to design the vending machines.

“My goal was to create striking graphic art that captivates the community, transforming awareness into action by highlighting the availability of life-saving resources,” Bellanca says.
This harm-reduction tactic is a response to a growing opioid epidemic both nationally and within the state of Texas. In 2022 alone, 2,782 Texans died of opioid overdoses.

This North Texas initiative was inspired by the work of Em Gray, of the Austin-based organization N.I.C.E. Project. The first vending machine was unveiled in Pharr, Texas, in collaboration with the city police department’s mental health unit.

Anthony Delabano (founder of Foundation 45) says, "It's about delivering the right message to the right audience. Collaborating with artists, musicians, partners, and creators to engage that community has always been effective. It's time we elevate our efforts."

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Vanessa Quilantan is a music journalist. She started her career in 2013 at the Dallas Observer and posts original content and drawings on Instagram as @auntbananas.

Contact: Vanessa Quilantan

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