By Esther Frances
The Frederick News-Post
BRUNSWICK, Md. — The city of Brunswick, in collaboration with the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services, will install a vending machine that dispenses doses of naloxone for free.
Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose caused by drugs like heroin, fentanyl and prescription opioid medication, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A common brand of the naloxone medication is Narcan.
The City Council voted unanimously to allow the vending machine to be installed in the MARC Brunswick Train Station.
“We’re excited to be able to have this in our community,” Mayor Nathan Brown said in an interview. “I think it’s definitely a big need, and I’m excited to see it rolled out in Frederick County.”
September is National Recovery Month and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services “to promote and support new evidence-based treatment and recovery practices,” according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
More than 2 million people in the U.S. struggle with opioid use disorder, which can range from dependence on opioids to addiction, according to the National Institutes of Health. There are about 47,000 opioid-related deaths nationally every year, according to NIH.
Between 2017 and 2021, the average number of opioid-related overdose deaths in Frederick County was 60 per year, according to the Maryland Department of Health.
Mary Jackson, the program director for the physician assistant program at Mount St. Mary’s University, said these numbers do not account for the millions of impacted family members and friends of those struggling with addiction.
“Having free, anonymous vending machines like this is an opportunity to save lives,” she said.
Jackson is Physician Assistant Certified and has worked in emergency medicine in the Baltimore area since 2009.
She added that since naloxone binds to opioid receptors and blocks the effects of opioids, naloxone should be administered even in situations where an overdose is suspected but not confirmed.
“The benefits far outweigh any risks, which are extremely low,” Jackson said. “You’re just blocking receptors. This is not something that is dangerous.”
Working on locations
Brown said the effort to place the vending machine was coordinated by the Brunswick Volunteer Ambulance and Rescue, which came before the mayor and council to discuss interest in using the train station as a location.
Sarah Campbell, a spokeswoman for the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services, said the division purchased four vending machines. The first will be placed at the station in Brunswick early next month.
She said Fire and Rescue is discussing location ideas for the other three machines with several community partners to identify where would have the most positive impact.
In February 2023, Fire and Rescue applied for a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
The grant, titled the First Responders Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, awarded a total of $1.8 million over four years to the Division of Fire and Rescue Services, a portion of which went toward the naloxone vending machines. Fire and Rescue received the funds in October 2023.
Campbell said to use the vending machine, a person enters the number that corresponds with the desired choice and retrieves the supply, free of charge. No additional information is required.
She added that other public safety items like fentanyl test strips and xylazine test strips will be available for free in the vending machine. Xylazine is a synthetic animal tranquilizer that is sometimes found laced in illicit drugs, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Jackson said there has been an increased prevalence of fentanyl and other high-potency synthetic opioids being laced into illicit drugs.
“Sometimes, a person might obtain a street drug and have no idea how potent or how dangerous or what dose of a medication they’re taking,” she said.
Jackson added that those struggling with addiction may be more likely to use a free and anonymous way to access naloxone because of stigmas surrounding drug use and addiction.
“This is increased access to a rapid, life-saving intervention,” she said.
Access throughout Frederick County
Through a different initiative, the Frederick County Health Department set up distribution boxes in four locations this past spring — three in the city of Frederick and one in Thurmont:
- Econo Lodge, 6021 Francis Scott Key Drive, Frederick
- Platoon 22 Veteran Services Center, 1750 Monocacy Blvd., Frederick
- C. Burr Artz Public Library, 110 E. Patrick St., Frederick
- Thurmont Regional Library, 76 East Moser Road, Thurmont
Jessica Ellis, the harm reduction and diversion programs manager at the Health Department, said the ACCESS grant from the Maryland Center for Harm Reduction Services and the Behavioral Health Administration supports different initiatives including the Overdose Response Program.
ACCESS stands for “Advanced Cross-Cutting Engagement and Service Strategies for people who use drugs,” according to the Maryland Department of Health.
Ellis said the county Health Department was awarded a $894,867 ACCESS grant for fiscal year 2025, and that the department has applied annually for the ongoing funding since 2017.
She said the funding supports the Overdose Response Program, which placed the naloxone distribution boxes throughout the city of Frederick and Thurmont, as well as other initiatives, like the Street Safe Program.
Andrea Walker, director and chief public health strategist for the Behavioral Health Services Division of the county Health Department, said her division works closely with Fire and Rescue to ensure resources cover as much of the county as possible.
Walker said the Local Behavioral Health Authority, part of the county Health Department, held a strategic planning meeting with the county’s first responders in July of this year. She said the meeting was to coordinate services and leverage the existing infrastructure to meet the needs of the county.
“Anytime that we can remove barriers and give people access to things that they may need is just so important,” Brown said.
Frederick County Executive Jessica Fitzwater said both the Health Department and Fire and Rescue are working hard to get free, self-service and accessible naloxone stations in strategic places throughout the county.
She said that providing access to naloxone is a goal of both Frederick County and the state of Maryland.
“We do feel like this is just a piece of the puzzle of the efforts that Frederick County has been focusing on over the last several years to really try to see a drop in the number of opioid-related overdoses, continuing to break the stigma and provide more education, awareness and resources,” Fitzwater said.
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