‘Giving people tools to save their life’: Vending machine provides free Narcan, fentanyl test strips

SEATTLE — In an ongoing effort to combat drug overdoses across the county, King County Public Health and Peer Seattle have teamed up and are providing people in Capitol Hill with access to a vending machine that provides Fentanyl testing strips and Narcan.

The vending machine also supplies safe sex kits.

The vending machine has been at Peer Seattle for a few months, and director Christopher Archiopoli said people have been using it daily.

“The fentanyl testing strips allow people to understand what it is that they’re using, the drugs they’re ingesting, and Narcan can save people’s lives if they’ve already ingested fentanyl,” he said. “What we’ve seen is that people are more than willing to accept the help we have to offer.”

The vending machine is free to everyone, and people can access it from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day. All you need is a cellphone and to answer a couple of questions.

However, if you don’t have a phone, Peer Seattle will still help get you access.

“Giving people tools to save their life until they’re ready to make that change I think is really important,” Archiopoli said.

KIRO 7 was at Peer Seattle when Anthony Wiencko walked in to use the vending machine. He said he wants to have these tools just in case.

“I’m pretty sure everything is laced with something, so people could be doing something that has nothing to do with opioids and this could save their life,” Wiencko said.

There is one other vending machine like this one in King County, and that one is located at Peer Kent.

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