LRADAC purchases Narcan vending machine for newly released inmates in Lexington County to help curb overdoses
May 9, 2023
In a novel harm reduction strategy to help combat overdoses for recently released inmates, LRADAC has partnered with the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and the Lexington County Detention Center to offer free Narcan for recently released inmates—available for free in a vending machine. The vending machine has been installed in the Lexington County Detention Center to give recently released inmates free and immediate access to the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan (generically known as naloxone) because many of these inmates are susceptible to overdoses upon release. Statistics show that when former users have long periods between drug use, they are much more likely to suffer from overdose if they choose to use again.
“In an ideal world, these released inmates wouldn’t return to using drugs, but statistically, we simply know that’s not always the case,” said Ashley Bodiford, LRADAC’s Director of Prevention. “And if someone recently released does use after such a long time, their chance of overdose dramatically increases. So with our purchase of this Narcan vending machine, LRADAC’s main goal is to save lives because as long as someone stays alive, we have a better chance of helping them get the treatment they need to stay alive and live substance-free.”
“The most important reason to make this resource from LRADAC available is that it saves lives,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “That’s why we do what we do, and it’s at the heart of our life’s work. We want to help people and spare their loved ones from grief.”
LRADAC is the designated alcohol and drug abuse authority for Lexington and Richland Counties. The public, not-for-profit agency offers a wide array of prevention, intervention, and treatment programs in locations convenient to residents of both counties. The agency has a budget of approximately $10 million and serves more than 4,500 clients annually. For more information on programs and services, visit LRADAC’s website at www.lradac.org
