Ocean County's First Harm Reduction Vending Machine Opens in Toms River, Offering Free 24/7 Naloxone and Supplies
Ocean County's first harm reduction vending machine is now operating in Toms River, NJ, providing free, anonymous, 24/7 access to naloxone and overdose prevention supplies.
TOMS RIVER, N.J. — Residents of Ocean County now have free, anonymous, around-the-clock access to naloxone and other overdose prevention supplies, following the launch of the county's first harm reduction vending machine outside Suburban Health Clinic in Toms River.
The machine, which soft-launched on July 20 and was publicly announced July 31, is stocked and maintained by Prevention Resource Network (PRN), a program of the Children & Family Health Institute at VNA Health Group. It operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering naloxone, sterile syringes, safer smoking kits, adulterant test strips, wound care supplies, sharps containers, and condoms at no cost and with no identification required. A syringe return kiosk beside the machine allows for safe disposal of used syringes at any hour.
What the Machine Offers
The vending machine model is designed to remove the two biggest practical barriers to harm reduction supplies: cost and timing. Traditional distribution happens during business hours at fixed locations — precisely when many people who use drugs, or family members seeking naloxone for a loved one, cannot or will not walk through a door and ask for help.
Early usage data suggests the need is real. In its first week of operation, the Toms River machine distributed 110 sterile syringes, 39 safer smoking kits, and 8 wound care kits, along with naloxone, condoms, adulterant test strips, and sharps containers.
"We are pleased to have a partner organization in Ocean County that recognizes the importance of engaging and empowering individuals who want to take control of their health and well-being," said Shannon Preston, MSW, LSW, Director of HIV Community Services at VNA Health Group. "This innovative harm reduction approach will not only directly affect individuals who use substances, but it will also improve the overall health of families and communities."
Why Ocean County, Why Now
Drug overdose remains one of New Jersey's most pressing public health challenges. Although overdose deaths have declined statewide in recent years, 2,816 New Jersey residents died from drug overdoses in 2023, according to state data. Ocean County, a large and geographically spread-out county along the Jersey Shore, has historically had fewer fixed-site harm reduction resources than the state's urban centers.
The supplies distributed by the machine address overlapping crises. Naloxone reverses opioid overdoses; sterile syringes and safer smoking kits reduce transmission of HIV and hepatitis C; wound care supplies treat the injection-related infections that send people to emergency rooms; and adulterant test strips help people detect fentanyl and other dangerous contaminants in an increasingly unpredictable drug supply.
"The supplies offered in this vending machine prevent overdose and reduce transmission of HIV, hepatitis C, and other bloodborne diseases," said Cole Zaccaro, Manager of Harm Reduction Services at Prevention Resource Network. "Our harm reduction counselors continue to provide these same lifesaving supplies alongside education and counseling throughout Ocean County during our outreach hours. The vending machine will ensure people who use substances and the people who care about them can access the supplies they need 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
New Jersey operates a state-regulated network of harm reduction centers through the Department of Health, which oversees syringe access and related services statewide. Community-based machines like the one in Toms River extend that infrastructure beyond staffed locations.
A Proven Model From Asbury Park
The Ocean County machine builds on results from PRN's first harm reduction vending machine, launched in Asbury Park in April 2025. From April 2025 through June 2026, that machine distributed more than 50,000 harm reduction supplies — including 41,180 sterile syringes, 7,930 safer smoking kits, and 566 boxes of naloxone.
Notably, the majority of those distributions occurred between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m., confirming that demand peaks outside traditional service hours. Beyond the two machines, PRN operates harm reduction outreach at 16 mobile locations across Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing supplies, education, and connections to healthcare and recovery services.
Harm Reduction and Treatment as Partners
The machine's placement outside Suburban Health Clinic is deliberate. The clinic provides evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder — methadone and buprenorphine paired with individual and group counseling — and PRN counselors already conduct on-site outreach there every Monday, connecting people to care.
"Addiction is a chronic medical illness, not a moral failing," said Anthony Scrofine, MSN, PMHNP-BC, LCADC, Director of Nursing at Suburban Health Clinic. "Harm reduction meets people where they are, while medications like methadone help them move toward long-term recovery when they are ready. These approaches are not opposites; they are complementary tools that save lives, reduce disease, and strengthen our communities. Every person deserves the chance to survive today so they can recover tomorrow."
That framing reflects a growing consensus in addiction medicine: naloxone access and sterile supplies keep people alive, and survival is the precondition for any future treatment. Research consistently shows that people who use syringe service programs are more likely to enter treatment than those who do not.
What Comes Next
PRN says the Toms River machine will be restocked continuously and evaluated on the same metrics as the Asbury Park installation, with distribution data informing where future machines might be placed. For families in Ocean County, the immediate takeaway is simpler: free naloxone is now available at any hour, no questions asked, outside Suburban Health Clinic in Toms River.
Anyone concerned about a loved one's substance use can also call the SAMHSA National Helpline at 1-800-662-4357 — free, confidential, and available 24/7 — for referrals to local treatment programs, or contact New Jersey's ReachNJ line at 1-844-732-2465 for immediate connection to addiction services statewide.
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