Waupaca Vending Machines Offer Vital Health Items with Anonymity and Convenience

WAUPACA (WLUK) — Waupaca County is looking to create a stronger, healthier community. And now, it’s the latest county to make health and safety items more easily accessible – for free.

There’s a new addition to the Waupaca County Courthouse: a public health vending machine.

Waupaca County Public Health Services received a $50,000 grant from the state to make a variety of health and safety items available to anyone who wants or needs them.

“Anyone who walks through the courthouse and anyone in the area can come and sell them for free,” said Public Health Officer Jed Wohlt.

There are a number of different elements in the machine, but the focus is on NARCAN, a drug that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, and fentanyl test strips.

Wohlt said: “I think this is something we’ve been trying to do for several years to provide vital products to everyone. This is an ongoing problem with opioids and overdoses and if we have a life-saving medication that people can use, we want to make that available and accessible.

Other items available in the machine are COVID tests, condoms, first aid kits, guns and even tick removal kits.

According to Wohlt, “A little bit of everything for things that I think people really use. We have high incidence rates of tick-borne illnesses in the county and this is an opportunity to provide them with products to help prevent disease.”

In a public place, the vending machine allows a little anonymity. Anyone can walk up to the machine, enter their zip code, select up to two items and leave with what they need, no questions asked.

“You can just get it without having to go to a place where you might worry about where you’re getting it or who might be there. It’s just an opportunity to come at your convenience, get the products and go home,” Wohlt added.

In addition to the machine at the courthouse, the county also installed one at Compassionate Connections in Clintonville. But unlike the courthouse machine, the one in Clintonville is available 24 hours a day.

The machines may be new to Waupaca County, but it’s not a new concept to the area, leading local officials to believe that once again, people know these machines are available at Waupaca and Clintonville – their popularity will take off.

Grand Chute installed a public health vending machine almost a year ago and so far, nearly 400 doses of NARCAN and more than a hundred guns have been sold.