Howard County opens free opioid overdose prevention vending machines

In an effort to prevent opioid overdoses, the Howard County Health Department is placing two vending machines in Columbia and Jessup that offer free overdose-reversal medications and other lifesaving essentials.

The machines, located outdoors, will be stocked with naloxone, condoms and test strips for fentanyl, xylazine, barbiturates and medetomidine, the health department said in a news release.

“Access to naloxone leads to measurable drops in opioid overdose deaths,” Howard County Health Officer Dr. Maura Rossman said in a statement. “This vending machine investment will help lower the barriers of stigma, cost, and access to these essential resources.”

While the machines require no money, a person must enter their age, gender and ZIP code to receive the items. No name is required.

QR codes on the machines will link to treatment resources and naloxone training.

The machines are located outside the health department’s headquarters at 8930 Stanford Boulevard in Columbia and at the Grassroots Day Resource Center at Leola Dorsey, located at 10390 Guilford Road in Jessup.

The health department determined where to place the machines using data from the county’s substance use dashboard and overdose risk map, and feedback regarding accessibility and the highest areas of need.

There were 13 opioid-related deaths in Howard County from June 2025 through this May, according to the Maryland Department of Health’s overdose dashboard. In that same time frame, the county fire department administered naloxone to 163 individuals, according to the health department.

“Every life lost to overdose is a tragedy, and expanding access to proven, life-saving tools is one of the most effective ways we can protect our residents,” Howard County Executive Calvin Ball said in a statement.

Funding to provide items in the vending machines free of charge came from the county’s Opioid Restitution Fund. Money in the fund comes from opioid litigation settlements with pharmaceutical manufacturers, pharmacies and drug distributors for their roles in the overdose crisis.