The Chicago Transit Authority and Cook County Health have installed Narcan, a brand name for the medication naloxone vending machines in five more train line stations in an effort to get the potentially life saving medication into the hands of more people. 

New machines have been added on train lines, ranging from the Jefferson Park Blue Line to the 47th Street Red Line stations. Sophia Koslowski, a grants administration manager at Cook County Health, says the placement in “very high traffic” CTA lines can help get free Narcan in and outside of Chicago.

“We kind of view the CTA as a connector for most, if not all, residents of Cook County,” Koslowski said.

She said the idea is for people to take the medicine with them so they can use it when it is needed.

“The more people that are carrying it and feel comfortable using — it is important,” she said.

Using data from the Chicago Department of Public Health, Cook County Health officials pinpointed overdose hotspots and consulted with the CTA to choose the stations. The addition of five new stations brings the total to 10 at various locations.

Christian Townsend, a Chicago resident who just noticed the machine at the 47th Red Line station, says he’s noticed that areas around these stations have “a lot of people who do drugs” and he’s seen “a lot of them passed out.”

The Chicago Department of Public Health installed the original five naloxone vending machines in November 2023. One of those is in the 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line station. 

That machine has distributed 929 Narcan boxes from January through August of this year, health officials said. This averages about 29 boxes taken every week from one machine, making it the second most popular machine. The most frequented vending machine is inside Harold Washington Library in downtown Chicago, according to CDPH project manager Ryann Billitteri.

While opioid overdoses have increased nationally in recent years, they have been dropping steadily in Cook County since 2023. Overdose deaths in Cook County reached a peak of 2,001 in 2022 and dropped to 1,822 in 2023, according to the Cook County government. In 2024, the first full year the machines were active, the county saw only 1,026 overdose deaths.

Greg Scott, a DePaul sociology professor who researches drug use, overdoses and drug markets, said there is no proof that overdose rates decline near these machines but that they are providing a good resource. He agreed that these vending machines are a good way to distribute naloxone to people who can’t easily access it. 

Despite the lack of evidence these machines prevent overdose deaths, Chicagoans like Kyaria Hudson believe these machines are a good start — and that more should be added.

“I feel like putting these vending machines more in local areas would be definitely perfect,” said Hudson, a nursing student at ATS Institute of Technology. She also encouraged members of the public “not to be judgmental” about making naloxone more accessible.

Cook County Health is working with local organizations to spread awareness about the CTA vending machines with a program called “Adopt-a-Stop” where volunteers promote nearby machines.  

“Many community members and organizations have been a part of this rollout,” Koslowski said.“And so they are also part of the education and getting the word out.”

The five new vending machines can be found in the 47th Street Red Line stop, Wilson Red/Purple Line stop, Jefferson Park Blue Line stop, Harlem/Lake Green Line stop and Central Park Pink Line stop. The code for free access to naloxone in the machines is “555.”

Related Stories:

• CTA granted nearly $2 billion for Red Line Extension
• DePaul Biz and CTA launch partnership for economic development in Red Line Extension
• Bring a gun on the CTA? AI might know