Pregnancy tests, prophylactics, wound care kits, oral hygiene, deodorant and more health necessities, are also stocked, Peter Ducharme, Bridge Program Director said in an interview.
The products are divided into three categories: opioid prevention, infection prevention, and health and wellness, Ducharme said.
All items are free and are accessible 24-hours a day at its main building in Boston.
The machine also tracks which items are most popular and notifies staff when products need to be restocked, Bridge said in a statement.
The machine was installed nearly a year after Bridge Over Troubled Waters received a $300,000 grant from the Boston Public Health Commission in opioid settlement money, Ducharme said.
Massachusetts was one of several states that sued opioid manufacturers over the public harm and loss of life fueled by the opioid crisis.
As of January, Boston has received $12.9 million, the commission said in a statement. Grants money is available for treatment and recovery programs.
In December 2024, the commission launched four public health vending machines across Boston, not including Bridge, who installed its machine in August , BPHC said in a statement.
Ducharme said Bridge purchased a vending machine because it aligned with their mission of harm reduction and supporting youth who experience homelessness and may struggle with opiate use.
“We really wanted to showcase that [Bridge] has a wide array of public health resources that hopefully everybody uses,” Ducharme said.
Ducharme said Bridge’s vending machine is a visual reminder of what products they offer and provides privacy to individuals who may feel uncomfortable asking for products directly.
“Not everybody is in that place where they feel comfortable asking for products. So having the machine where it’s convenient and 24-hour access, where you can get things without having to ask another person really takes away that barrier,” Ducharme said.
Other public health vending machines can be found at BPHC Recovery Services in the Finland Building, Southampton Street Shelter, Visions of Victory, North End Waterfront Community Health Center, and NeighborHealth in East Boston, the Boston Public Health Commission said.
Camille Bugayong can be reached at camille.bugayong@globe.com.
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