Regal Products Participates in Widely Successful Program Offering Life-Saving Products via Vending Machines
- spiralstriffid-0l
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Vending machines have been a staple of the American landscape for as long as anyone can remember. Great for when you have a hankering for snacks and beverages. Cigarette machines? Not so much anymore. But by and large, vending machines have always delivered offering a convenient way to get satisfying treats on the cheap right when you want them.
Today, vending machines are used to offer a wide variety of items, in addition to candy bars, chips, sodas, coffee, and water. How about electronic devices sold at airports and train stations (phone chargers, earbuds, smartphones, and digital cameras)? Hair care products. Toys. Baby and hygiene products. Over-the-counter medicines. Condoms. Car accessories. Wine. Beer. Transportation tickets. Frozen foods. Disposable masks and gloves (pandemic anyone?). Sunscreens. Ice cream. Even the claim you can buy a car from a Carvana Vending Machine.
The point is, vending machines represent a versatile way to distribute products where and when they are needed most. Which asks the question … Why can’t they be used for saving lives? The answer is, they already are.
Milwaukee County Department of Health & Human Services in Wisconsin offers a Harm Reduction Vending Machine.
Harm reduction is primarily focused on reducing the negative consequences associated with drug use such as accidental or intentional overdose, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, and other health risks, while also including other self-harm reduction tools like firearm cable locks. The primary goal of these vending machines is to provide access to harm reduction tools and resources to those who need them most – anonymously and without judgment.
“Regal Products became involved in this effort when Milwaukee County approached us about supplying gun cable locks to be distributed through its Harm Reduction vending machines,” says Shawn Kitchell, CEO of Regal Products. Gun cable locks, designed to prevent accidental firearm-related deaths and suicides, are supplied by Regal Products as one of several life-saving tools included in the program.
“We worked with the County on specific messaging for the gun cable locks (including instructions on their use) and packaged them to fit correctly in the vending machine,” says Kitchell. Like all the other products in the vending machines, cost for a gun cable lock is free to the user. Regal Products has deployed more than 30,000 locks throughout the county.
Instructional Video about Using Gun Cable Locks
In addition to the gun cable locks, other items in the vending machines include a nasal Narcan kit, designed to reverse opioid-related overdoses from prescription and street drugs, Fentanyl/Xylazine test strips to ensure there is no presence of Fentanyl or Xylazine in drugs, medication lock bags to store medication and illicit drugs securely, and medication deactivation bags to destroy medications and illicit drugs for disposal in the home.
Jeremy Triblett, Prevention Integration Manager, Milwaukee County says Milwaukee County sent an email to out to partners asking for interest in hosting vending machines. He got responses from malls, hospitals, universities, gas stations, churches, businesses, and non-profits. Respondents were required to apply why they wanted a Harm Reduction Vending Machine, as well as recommendations from organizations in their communities. After interviewing each agency, they collaborated with the Office of Emergency Management to build a map of the highest overdose rates, most vulnerable areas, and the location of applicants. In 2023, they placed vending machines in 11 businesses and in 2024, they placed vending machines in 8 businesses. In 2025, they created the HRVM Summit to convene more than 20 businesses disseminating harm reduction supplies across the county. Together, they'll develop ways to coordinate resources, track their impact, make data-driven decisions and engage the community.
“We want to saturate our community with supplies that save lives. Gun locks are central, ensuring residents can carry arms while reducing the likelihood anyone is unintentionally harmed. We're grateful that the average resident is a 10-minute drive from the nearest vending machine, which sits at the intersection of at least two county buses. We’re about access, education and impact,” says Jeremy Triblett.
So, How’s it Working?
Diane Mosey, a registered nurse with the Milwaukee VA, had an idea to come up with a naloxone (also sometimes referred to as Narcan) trainer that shows how to administer the drug, for which she won a High Reliability Organization HeRO award. Mosey lobbied for the harm reduction vending machines. When asked if the vending machines enable drug users, she replied, “This does not enable them, and the research backs that up, but some people aren’t ready to accept that. Everybody’s on a journey. This keeps them alive until they’re ready (to take the next step).”
Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service shares a story about how a fast-acting fitness center employee was able to access Narcan pulled from a vending machine to save the lives of two men who had overdosed.
Overdose deaths in Milwaukee County have declined for a second straight year – the result of flooding the community with harm reduction supplies. One such channel being the vending machines. To see the progress Milwaukee County efforts have made to reduce opioid deaths, view its Overdose Dashboard.
According to the CDC, the latest data shows a 24% decline in U.S. drug overdose deaths – to which they attribute a number of factors. The work to save lives continues and the Milwaukee County novel vending machine distribution effort represents another effective tool to achieve better outcomes.
“It's very gratifying to play a part in Milwaukee County's harm reduction efforts by providing safe storage cable gun locks for its vending machines," says Kitchell. “We're always looking for relationships like this that help save lives.”
To find a vending machine location, you can visit this page on the Milwaukee County Website.
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