On May 9, the Hays County Jail installed a Narcan vending machine in its lobby to help combat overdoses.

Narcan, or Naloxone, is a medication that reverses the effects of an opioid overdose.

Peyton Wagner, behavioral health coordinator for Hays County, said the Narcan vending machine is part of a broader initiative called the Harm Reduction Strategy, which aims to equip people with life-saving tools and information.

According to the press release, the Narcan Vending machine was installed through a partnership with the Hays County Sheriff’s Office, the Behavioral Health Program of the Hays County Health Department and the Texas Integrated Community Opioid Network (ICON).

The Narcan vending machine is located at 1307 Uhland Rd, in the lobby of the jail, and is available for the public and discharged inmates for free.

“There’s been a rise in opioid related incidents, both inside and outside jail settings,” Wagner said. “People who are incarcerated, when they leave jail, they can be at an increased risk.”

Katelyn Rosales, ICON community health liaison, said people are encouraged to take only one Narcan at a time from the vending machine, but if an individual needs two, they are allowed to.

“There’s this stigma around Narcan that people think that because it’s there, it’ll enable people to use,” Rosales said. “They fail to realize that Narcan is also for your grandma or grandpa who maybe took too much of their prescription opioid because they forgot.”

According to Rosales, there are flyers inside each Narcan box explaining how to use it, along with her contact information. Each box also features a sticker on top with a QR code that allows individuals in need of additional Narcan to request a shipment from ICON.

“About nine out of 10 pills seized will have some type of fentanyl in them. So what we’re seeing is that people aren’t necessarily looking for fentanyl, they go looking for Adderall or Xanax or something off the street,” Rosales said.

Rosales said the Hays County Jail machine is their second location, with Southside Community Center being the first installed back in 2024.

Wagner said inmates can request Narcan to be placed in their personal belongings upon release.

“For the individuals who are having [Narcan] placed in their personal belongings, there is an educational video that they’re going to show before they discharge,” Wagner said. “It’s important that we are equipping them with the tools, but also the knowledge about what [Narcan] is.”

According to the press release, there are educational posters located next to the Narcan vending machine explaining how to use it.

Ty Schepis, psychology professor at Texas State, said opioid overdose are still a problem in the county. Schepis said fentanyl involved overdoses have declined in about 18 months to two years, but methamphetamine or stimulant-involved overdoses have continued to rise.

“There are multiple points of vulnerability for people who are involved with the criminal legal systems, so having access at multiple different points of time is going to be important,” Schepis said.

Schepis said fentanyl-like compounds are potent, so the overdose lasts longer than Narcan works. Therefore, the person may need more than one dose to remain out of an overdose.

“Overdoses are preventable, and by making Narcan available, especially with a low barrier and not having costs associated with it, that’s going to make it accessible for all, especially for those who are in high-risk transition points in their life,” Wagner said.

Rosales said the goal is to saturate Hays County with Narcan through machines, relationships with businesses and hopefully in first aid kits.

“Naloxone is super important in keeping people from overdosing, but it does not help people change their patterns of use. It’s important that folks have access to treatment so that they can really change their patterns of drug use if they want to,” Schepis said.

Wagner said the Hays County Health Department is also putting up a Hays County resource guide that will list different treatment options for substance use disorders.

Rosales said people can use her contact information if they want further treatment with ICON or somewhere else in their community.

Currently, there are seven other places to receive Narcan in San : the Hays County Health Department, the Alkek Library, the Student Health Center, the Student Recreation Center, Wake the Dead Coffee, the Southside Community Center and the Salvation Army.