LOCKPORT, N.Y. — In the City of Lockport, saving a life is now as easy as grabbing a bag of chips.
Avi Israel, the President and Founder of Save the Michaels of the World, installed a Narcan vending machine at Lockport City Hall Wednesday — a free resource for its residents who have been among the hardest hit by the nationwide opioid epidemic.
“It saves lives,” Israel said. “That's the whole thing. The whole objective is to keep a person alive.”
Niagara County ranks second in New York State in overdose deaths with 34 in just the first seven months this year.
It is one reason each pack in the machine contains twice the dosage of a normal Narcan spray.
“What we're trying to do with this is rather than us two to three doses, we can use maybe one and wake the person up,” Israel said.
Lockport Mayor Michelle Roman has fought this battle since she first took office. The night before her inauguration, she was informed the city had an overdose death.
She says the biggest obstacle is the stigma around asking for help.
“You can get this and nobody's judging you,” she said. “You're not having to ask for it from somebody.”
Israel said the placement of the vending machines is key for their use.
In addition to the one in Lockport, his organization added one to a homeless shelter in Niagara Falls. They also purchased two more for $47,000 a piece using a grant that will be placed at various locations outside in the near future.