New Iowa Vending Machine Features Naloxone, Condoms

Unprepared? There's a vending machine for that.

The Family Planning Council of Iowa teamed up with the Polk County Health Department and announced that they now have a vending machine. Except instead of chips, candy, soda, and stale salty snacks, this one has emergency items you might need. And the kinds of emergencies run the gamut, from drugs to contraception.

In their new vending machine (which is now functioning in Des Moines), you can find a bunch of "harm reduction materials" (that you can get for free).

In the vending machine, there is:

• Naloxone (the stuff you administer to someone in an opioid overdose)
• Plan B
• Opill (daily birth control pill)
• Period Packs
• Condoms, lube, dental dams
• Sharps disposal containers
• Needle cleaning kits
• Hygiene kits
• Gun locks

Unfortunately, no Doritos. Though snack emergencies are real too.

According to KCCI, the health department will regularly monitor and restock the vending machine. Allison Smith, Executive Director of the Family Planning Council of Iowa, told the outlet:

We want to make it easy for the community to access essential resources, not requiring someone to schedule an appointment or ask a store clerk to unlock a case. Some of the items are more sensitive health products, so the vending machine enables people to access potentially life-saving supplies in a more private manner.

The Family Planning Council of Iowa says that the vending machine is accessible 24/7 and it's free. You'll find it at the Polk County Health Department (which is at 1907 Carpenter Ave. in Des Moines).