A machine dispenses free doses of Narcan.

Princeton is now one of several Texas communities where residents can obtain free Narcan to have on hand for the emergency treatment of opioid overdoses from drugs such as fentanyl.

Princeton Police Chief James Waters and newly hired Princeton Fire Chief Shannon Stephens were on hand March 19 to dedicate a vending machine at Princeton Pharmacy, 100 W. Princeton Drive.

The machine dispenses 4-milligram containers of naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray for the rapid treatment of life-threatening opioid emergencies.

The drug forms a block on receptors in the brain to which the opioids bond. The treatment only lasts about 30 minutes, so health officials say it’s imperative that the person suffering from the effects of an opioid episode go a hospital immediately after taking the antidote.

The over-the-counter drug is available free from the machine without prescription.

Officials at the ceremony said anybody who may encounter or know somebody at risk for an opioid overdose should have a Narcan dispenser handy for fast treatment, just as first responders do.

“People die quickly from these episodes,” said Charlise Lee, head of PTX Diverse, a nonprofit LGBTQ+ advocacy group.

The vending machine was designed by a Dallas-area children’s book author Terria Willis and local artists, who decorated the machines with a brightly colored scheme of flowers and assorted garden critters.

Isaac “IZK” Davies of Princeton designed the dispenser in use at Princeton Pharmacy.

Lee offered thanks to the artists who “turned these machines into works of art.” She also thanked Anthony Delabano of the Texas Opioid Response Coalition for sponsoring the program.

Delabano said the machines had already saved lives in Dallas and San Antonio and more are planned in the DFW area. 

“Bringing awareness to it and being able to provide free Narcan is just providing that growth,” Willis told KERA-TV, adding that one of the goals of providing the antidote is to “destigmatize conversations around addiction.”

Lee said the dispenser, originally designed to dispense pantyhose, contains about 15 doses of Narcan.

“Let’s hope we don’t use these too quickly,” she said, adding that the group was raising money to restock the machine.

Lee noted the dispenser has QR codes that customers can scan to obtain needed information on how to use the antidote. The code also provides contact information for customers to seek out if they need more guidance.

“I think the Princeton Pharmacy is the first one in Collin County” to get the dispenser with the free Narcan doses, pharmacist Praveen Daida said.

Lee also said she received a bit of resistance from the community when she proposed installing the Narcan dispenser in Princeton. “People told me they thought it would bring more drug addiction to the city,” Lee said, adding that she responded by saying, “Honey, we already have drug addiction here. This is designed to fight it.”

According to the Drug Enforcement Administration, opioids make up about 70% of drug-related deaths nationwide and fentanyl is the deadliest of the drugs. Texas has the third-greatest number of drug-related deaths of any state, with 5,000 reported cases, the DEA said.

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