Delaware County Jail's Free Naloxone Vending Machine Sees Community Use

At the Delaware County Jail, a parent, friend or neighbor worried about an overdose can get naloxone at any hour — free, without showing identification or explaining why they need it.

Delaware County installed the naloxone vending machine in the jail lobby at 844 U.S. Route 42 North, Delaware, Ohio, in July 2025, providing 24/7 access to overdose reversal medication for anyone in the community. In a July 2026 update covering its first year of operation, the Delaware County Sheriff's Office reported that the machine had dispensed 524 naloxone kits from the 702 kits the county ordered to stock it.

That averages fewer than two kits per day. The uptake raises questions about whether Dublin residents and other county families facing opioid struggles know the resource exists — particularly when it is located at a jail entrance. Standard naloxone kits contain two single-dose nasal spray devices with 4 mg naloxone hydrochloride each, designed for one-time use to reverse a suspected opioid overdose.

"Behind every kit is the possibility of a life saved, a family spared unimaginable loss, and someone being given another opportunity to seek recovery," the Delaware County Sheriff's Office said.

The initiative is a partnership among the Delaware County Sheriff's Office, the Delaware Public Health District and Project DAWN, Ohio's naloxone distribution program through the Ohio Department of Health. The jail machine is part of a broader countywide network operated by the Delaware Public Health District that includes naloxone boxes at multiple public sites.

The distribution effort comes as overdoses continue to take a toll in Delaware County. Nineteen county residents died from overdoses in 2024, and 15 of those deaths involved opioids. County residents also made 239 emergency department visits for suspected drug overdoses that year.

Yet the machine's location in a jail lobby may be less visible to families who do not associate their own addiction struggles with the criminal justice system, even though opioid deaths in Delaware County cut across income and demographic lines. Its first-year use leaves an open question: whether the potentially life-saving resource needs greater visibility to reach everyone who may need it.

Families seeking help for addiction can text HELPLINE to 898211 to access support resources in Delaware County. "If someone you love is battling addiction, you are not powerless. Get help by texting HELPLINE to 898211. Because everyone deserves a second chance," the Delaware County Sheriff's Office said.