The McAlister South Bay Regional Recovery Center in Chula Vista now houses San Diego County’s first naloxone vending machine that is available to anyone who needs it.
The new machine will dispense opioid overdose medication known as Naloxone to anyone that needs it, free of charge. The McAlister South Bay Regional Recovery Center is located at 1180 Third Ave., Ste C-3.
“You don’t have to be a member of the Center to use it,” wrote County of San Diego Communications Office’s Anita Lightfoot. “The new machine will put opioid overdose medication in the hands of anyone who wants it, free of charge.”
According to San Diego County’s Deputy Chief Health Population Officer Dr. Jessica Kattan, Naloxone has been distributed in person. Through those efforts, the county has been able to distribute about 24,000 naloxone kits into the community in the last year alone.
“These machines are going to amplify those efforts,” Dr. Kattan said.
The vending machine is part of the County’s comprehensive Harm Reduction Plan and the first of several other vending machines scheduled to be installed across the region.
“I’m super proud that McAlister is the first one in the county to have one of these machines,” Carlos Cuervo, Program Manager of the South Bay Enhanced Services said in a statement.
If you or someone you know struggles with substance abuse, resources are available through the county’s behavioral health services. More information on prevention programs and treatment services can be found here.
