First Staten Island location set for free ‘public health vending machines’ that will have hygiene kits, Naloxone, fentanyl strips

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. – At the November full-board meeting for Staten Island’s Community Board 1, two new free “public health vending machines” were discussed for the borough’s North Shore.

Vanessa Mical, the harm reduction and community engagement coordinator for the Tackling Youth Substance Abuse coalition, shared details about the vending machines and asked for community support.

The program was first announced over the summer but without detail about the locations for the kiosks; now, one of the machines is set to be sited in St. George, while Mical said conversations continue for siting the second.

“Our project, which is essentially vending machines—how you can imagine vending machines for snacks and drinks—but instead of any money exchange, we are offering public health supplies,”