By Kayla Tucker
mlive.com
MUSKEGON COUNTY, Mich. — Narcan, a life-saving medicine for someone who has overdosed on opioids, is now available for free in vending machines at several Trinity Health locations and the Muskegon County Department of Public Health.
“Every second matters during an overdose, and this will remove barriers to care by putting lifesaving medication directly into the hands of the people who need it, exactly when they need it,” said Michelle Gravlin, director of community health and well-being for Trinity Health Lakeshore. “Providing these kits free of charge at so many locations strengthens our commitment to addressing the opioid crisis in our communities.”
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The five vending machines are available during normal hours of operation at:
- Trinity Health Medical Center - Hackley (1675 Leahy Street, Muskegon)
- Trinity Health North Muskegon (2006 Holton Road, Muskegon)
- Trinity Health Urgent Care (1670 East Sherman Boulevard, Muskegon)
- Trinity Health Lakes Village (6401 Prairie Street, Norton Shores)
- Muskegon County Marquette Campus, Public Health (1903 Marquette Avenue, Muskegon)
The five vending machines were funded by Muskegon County and will be stocked and maintained by each individual location.
Opioids are a class of drugs typically used to treat pain. They are highly addictive and include oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, codeine, heroin, and fentanyl.
Gravlin said opioid use and overdoses are among the county’s biggest challenges.
The hospital system is working with local officials and a coalition to reduce opioids in the community. There are several community health workers partnering with local schools and police departments.
“We will be looking as well to partner with Muskegon Public Health to continue to educate our community about not only the availability, but why Narcan is so important in reducing mortality and death, and really working to reduce the stigma of addiction and just start encouraging open conversations about substance use and mental health in Muskegon County,” Gravlin said.
Opioid overdoses are a national emergency, claiming more than 50,000 lives per year, including more than 2,000 in Michigan.
The statewide overdose death rate was 19.1 per 100,000 people in 2024. In Muskegon County, the rate was 29.3 per 100,000, or 52 total deaths, according to state data.
The county peaked at 71 accidental opioid overdoses in 2023 and the number has gone down in the years since.
The rate of fatal overdoses in 2024 by Muskegon County residents aged 35 to 44 was 79.3, nearly double the state rate of that same age group, 39.4.
In Muskegon County, men and women died from opioid overdoses at an equal rate of 29.3. Black individuals made up the highest rate at 58.1, followed by non-Hispanic and white individuals.
There were 15 drug-related accidental deaths during the first six months of 2025, according to a report from the office of the medical examiner.
Muskegon’s overall overdose numbers are above average compared to the rest of the state. County officials credit the decrease in overdose deaths to the availability of Narcan.
The new vending machines look like old newspaper boxes. People can open the container and grab as many boxes of Narcan as they want and are encouraged to share with people in their life who may need it.
“If they have a loved one that they know uses, they’re able to provide that to a family member, to a friend, keep a couple for themselves,” Gravlin said. “We’re just really, really hoping that this is going to help to start some conversations.”
Gravlin said she hopes that more people in the community having Narcan on hand will reduce the overall stigma and encourage people to seek support.
“Somebody who uses Narcan and then is able to survive an event and get connected to EMS and to the healthcare, that can then just cascade a whole set of options – now they’re alive to have those conversations about counseling or ongoing recovery support,” Gravlin said. “And for them to know that somebody in the community just had this available to help them, I think really helps to reduce the stigma. ‘Somebody I don’t even know, not an ambulance driver, just had this and gave this to me to help me.’ We hope that it’s just the start of their journey for recovery support.”
If you find someone who is unresponsive, not breathing and who may have overdosed on opioids, first contact 911.
Gravlin said to then tip the person’s head back and spray the Narcan up one nostril. Stay with the person and provide support until the EMS arrives. If available, give a second dose two or three minutes later.
“The nice thing about the Narcan is that even if there is not an opioid present in the patient’s system, in the person’s system, that Narcan is not going to cause harm to the patient,” Gravlin said.
Narcan kits are also available at these other Trinity Health locations in West Michigan :
- Trinity Health Medical Center – Norton Shores (3570 Henry Street)
- Trinity Health Wege Medical Center (300 Lafayette Avenue SE, Grand Rapids)
- Trinity Health Medical Center – Rockford (6050 Northland Drive NE)
- Trinity Health Medical Center – Byron Center (2373 64th Street SW)
- Trinity Health Grand Rapids Main Lobby (200 Jefferson Avenue SE)
All Kent County locations also recently added fentanyl testing strips to the vending machines.
Fentanyl is a highly dangerous synthetic opioid found in many street drugs and has been the primary driver for a rise in opioid overdose deaths across the United States.
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