Gaston County has quietly turned life-saving medication into something you can grab as easily as a snack. This month, officials installed three white vending machines around the county that dispense Narcan and other harm-reduction supplies, part of a push to curb overdose deaths and steer people toward treatment. County leaders say the kiosks are meant to keep naloxone and testing supplies within reach after hours and for residents who might not feel comfortable walking into a clinic.
What the machines dispense and where they are
Gaston County Emergency Management set up three large white vending machines stocked with Narcan nasal spray, safe-sex supplies, fentanyl test strips and small hygiene packs, according to Queen City News. County leaders describe the kiosks as one more way to connect people to treatment and recovery services, and reporting notes that at least one of the machines is located at Phoenix Counseling Center.
Local provider: 'Machines have seen significant traffic'
“The machines have seen significant traffic and were restocked within the past two weeks,” Kevin Oliver, chief executive officer of Phoenix Counseling Center, told Queen City News. Phoenix Counseling Center runs outpatient, crisis and recovery programs in Gaston, Cleveland and Lincoln counties and is partnering with the county on outreach around the kiosks. The agency lists its services on its website, Phoenix Counseling Center.
Gaston EMS still distributes Narcan
The vending machines are not replacing the county’s existing efforts so much as backing them up. Gaston County EMS continues to give out Narcan at no charge as part of a broader push to expand naloxone access, WBTV reported. According to WBTV, ambulances and community paramedics carry doses, and the vending machines are intended to cover gaps when clinics and pharmacies are closed.
Local numbers underscore the urgency
State data make clear why local officials are leaning into harm reduction instead of waiting for people to show up at an office. The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services reports that “each day in 2024, 8 North Carolinians died from a drug overdose,” and Gaston County logged 84 overdose deaths in 2024, a level public health officials say leaves the county among those with higher-than-average overdose rates. Detailed statewide numbers and county dashboards are available through the overdose data hub at NCDHHS.
Settlement money and program plans
Behind the scenes, a long stream of settlement dollars is helping pay for these efforts. Gaston County is expected to receive about $40.5 million in opioid settlement funds over 18 years, and county records show leaders are steering part of that money to naloxone distribution, prevention work and treatment programs. The county has issued RFPs and adopted a spending plan that specifically earmarks funding for naloxone access and related services, according to Gaston County.
Where to go for help
One of the vending machines is available 24 hours a day at Phoenix Counseling Center, and residents can still get Narcan directly from Gaston County EMS or at most pharmacies. For statewide overdose resources, monthly summaries and interactive county-by-county dashboards, residents can use the NCDHHS overdose data hub noted above.
County officials describe the vending machines as a straightforward, no-questions-asked tool meant to save lives. They stress that the kiosks are just one piece of a larger strategy to expand treatment and recovery options across Gaston County, even if the most visible part looks a lot like grabbing something from a soda machine.
