Cameron University in Lawton now has a special vending machine on campus that can save lives.
Cameron University is the first and only college to have a Naloxone vending machine on their campus.
The Naloxone Vending Machine was a joint venture between Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and Cameron University.
Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Strategic Programs Manager Katie Lenhart says Cameron University was chosen because it’s a “stigma free environment.”
“Our goal is to place these machines in places that are stigma free, so we’re not necessarily placing machines at hospitals or even behavioral health facilities or police departments, right, because there can be some stigma associated with accessing these products in those spaces. So, really, we’ve been targeting universities like Cameron. Cameron is our first university in the entire state to have a machine installed which is huge.”
Lenhart says other stigma free environments that have Naloxone vending machines include libraries, gas stations, and many concession plazas on the turnpike.
Lenhart says the vending machine is super easy to use.
“In order to use the machine, every single product in this machine is completely offered for free. So all anyone has to do is come over to this touch screen, enter in their zip code, enter in whichever product they would like and then it will dispense completely for free.”
Jennifer Rowland, Director of Cameron University’s Student Wellness Center says having this on campus sends a powerful statement.
“It sends a statement that Cameron is invested in those that may be experimenting on campus, might have a substance abuse problem, that we’re not going to stick out head in the sand an says ‘It’s not here, it’s not a problem in southwest Oklahoma and we’re just here to save people’s lives and if there’s a resource that we can utilize and be able to get to a position that’s more stigma free then it’s great, it's what we need to do.”
The Naloxone vending machine carries 100 boxes of the nasal spray with two doses in each pack as well as 54 boxes of Fentanyl test strips with 5 strips in each box.
While this is the first vending machine to be installed in Lawton and on a college campus, it’s the 16th vending machine of its kind to be installed across Oklahoma.
For more information you can visit OK I'm Ready | Substance Use and Drug Addiction Resources (okimready.org)
