Vending machines are having a positive impact on public health

By SCOTT MCKIE B.P.

One Feather Asst. Editor

 

CHEROKEE, N.C. – Just over two years ago, vending machines were installed around tribal lands of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) in an effort to improve access to health and wellness supplies.  All of the products in the machines are only for EBCI tribal members and are available free of charge.

Sheena Kanott Lambert, MPH, EBCI Public Health & Human Services public health director, is excited at how well the program is working.

According to numbers provided by Lambert, as of Sept. 30, 2025, over 70,000 items have been dispensed through the vending machines in the two years of the program’s existence.  The top five items include: adult dental kits (5,443), bottled water (4,948), Acetaminophen (4,469), First Aid kit (4,439), and men’s deodorant (4,128).

During that time, many health-related items have also been distributed in high numbers including: allergy medicine (3,389), condoms (2,655), pregnancy tests (2,220), COVID-19 tests (1,952), Naloxone nasal spray (1,031), and Fentanyl test strips (679).

Lambert noted, “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s all about is how impactful have those items been. Not only have people been able to access them, but how have they been used.”

She added, “This is huge. For me, this is why public health is so important and why we do what we do. It shows that whatever we’re doing is working. And, ultimately, we’re saving people’s lives and that can turn their life around.”

The vending machines themselves are temperature-controlled and can hold up to 350 items.  Following is a list of the 12 locations for the machines:

• Kolanvyi (Big Cove) Community Center, 8765 Big Cove Rd., Cherokee, N.C.
• Big Y Community Club & Gym, 2641 Wrights Creek Rd., Cherokee, N.C.
• Cherokee Indian Hospital, 1 Hospital Rd, Cherokee, N.C.
• Cherokee County Indian Community Club, 300 Airport Rd., Marble, N.C.
• Cherokee Tribal Food Distribution, 2266 Old Mission Rd., Cherokee, N.C.
• EBCI Public Health and Human Services Administration Biulding, 43 John Crowe Hill, Cherokee, N.C.
• Food Lion, 16 Cherokee Crossing, Whittier, N.C.
• Pamela Dawn Taylor Gym & Community Center, 10 Old Gap Rd., Cherokee, N.C.
• Peaches Squirrell Sports & Recreation Center, 1212 Birdtown Rd., Cherokee, N.C.
• Qualla Boundary Head Start & Early Head Start, 897 Acquoni Rd., Cherokee, N.C.
• Snowbird Jacob Cornsilk Complex, 60 Snowbird School Rd., Robbinsville, N.C.
• Yellowhill Activity Center, 1416 Acquoni Rd., Cherokee, N.C.

Of the 12 locations, Food Lion has dispensed the most with 15,921 items followed by the Peaches Squirrell Sports & Recreation Center (11,331) and Yellowhill Activity Center (9,853).

Lambert related some of the benefits of the vending machines as follows:

• 24/7 Accessibility – extends care beyond clinic hours and is especially helpful for those facing scheduling or transportation barriers
• Harm Reduction – provides Naloxone and Fentanyl test strips to help prevent overdoses
• Public Health Impact – supplies condoms, pregnancy tests, and First Aid kits to reduce infections and promote basic wound care
• Discreet Access – offers a stigma-free way to obtain sensitive products such as condoms or diapers
• Data Tracking – collects usage data for informed resource allocation

Lambert noted that harm reduction is working according to information from ODMAP (Overdose Detection Mapping Application Program).  “Since installation, we’ve seen a dramatic reduction in suspected overdoses – only five reported in the last two years, compared to previous spikes as high as 29 overdoses in a single month.  This represents a substantial improvement in immediate community safety.”

She related that PHHS did a vending machine survey from April 1 – May 5, 2025 “to evaluate the program’s initial reach, assess user experiences and positive experiences, and identify opportunities for improvement”.

During the survey, several people gave personal anecdotes regarding their experiences with the vending machines.  A few of those are shared below (Note: Per Cherokee Code 75-4 regarding anonymous sources, “The One Feather will always strive to identify sources of news articles unless such identification would adversely affect the source.”  The One Feather Editorial Board decided to allow anonymous comment in this article as doing so provides valuable information and insight to the community without harming the sources.)

• “I had an allergic reaction in the middle of the night. All stores were closed, but the vending machine had Benadryl.  It was a lifesaver.”
• “I had to get Naloxone out of the machine and administer it to a family member who was struggling with substance use. It saved their life.”
• “My mother is in recovery and uses items from the vending machine to help at home. Free resources like this are a gem in our rural area. Every penny helps!”
• “The vending machine helped when my family needed COVID tests after hours. It was convenient and helped prevent exposure.”

Lambert said the vending machines are part of an overall public health effort.  “I don’t think it’s only the vending machine project. I think it’s the community prioritizing this as a whole to work towards helping with this issue. I think it’s a lot of things. I think it’s the Syringe Service program. I think it’s the vending machine project. I think it’s Analenisgi services, emergency services, those types of things. And, I think the Tribal Health Improvement Plan (THIP), which we had substance use as a priority in our last THIP cycle, was also there supporting that work of community members that were trying to move us in a more positive direction.”

She went on to say, “It’s 100 percent grant-funded through the North Carolina Opioid Response grant. That’s the actual grant funding that purchased the vending machines and buys all the products in the machine. So, it’s 100 percent grant-funded – nothing tribally at all. They also bought the two new ones as well. Tsalagi Public Health are the ones that restock the machines, maintain them.”

There is a graphic below that shows how to use the vending machines.