A new vending machine in the Michigan State University (MSU) Union doesn’t sell chips or Coke but emergency items like Narcan and emergency contraceptives.
It started as a way to give students access to emergency contraceptives, but it quickly turned into something more.
“Myself as well as a couple of other students on campus were looking for ways that we kind of can increase accessibility to reproductive health care on campus,” said Julia Walters, co-founder of East Lansing Free Contraceptives (ELFC).
MSU student Arianna Paa and the founders of ELFC teamed up to make a health vending machine, with everything from pregnancy tests to Narcan.
“I lost a friend to an accidental opioid overdose. At the time I didn’t know what Narcan or Naloxone even was, so in my time grieving I found that I had a lot of not only guilt but anger for not knowing,” said Paa.
It even has everyday stuff that a college student would need, like Tylenol and Band-Aids, all at a more affordable rate.
“College is expensive, rent is expensive, food is expensive now,” said Harsna Chahal, co-founder of ELFC.
The emergency contraceptives in the machine are just $10. Narcan, used to reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, is entirely free.
Easy access to the machine in a main building, privacy, and low prices all make it more accessible for students to use.
“I think having this health vending machine is so vital because it’s helping to create that student success by breaking down the barriers like accessibility, like affordability,” said Chahal.
The group that worked on this project hopes to add more health vending machines to other parts of campus, including the library and potentially on-campus dorms.
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