Narcan machine removed from Moses Lake library

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Library will no longer have a Narcan vending machine within the building.  

“We didn't decide to move the machine,” North Central Washington Libraries Communications and Community Engagement Manager Amanda Brack said. “It's not our machine. We were partnering with Thriving Together NCW by providing space for the machine and the library and Thriving Together NCW is relocating it, and we fully support what they're doing in our state.” 

Narcan is the brand name for naloxone, a medication used to rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. The machine allowed people to access Narcan for free. 

“We were so grateful to have had the opportunity to have the machine for the past six months, and our libraries will always be a place where everyone can find the resources they need to improve their lives,” Brack said. “We really look forward to continuing to partner with Thrive Together NCW on other initiatives moving forward, and really any other partners that share our mission and vision and values.” 

Brack said she does not know where the vending machine will be relocated. 

“I think they're finalizing details on relocation for it to find the best place,” Brack said. 

The removal of the machine was cited by Moses Lake City Council members as part of their rationale for tabling a proposed ordinance that would ban the distribution of Narcan on city property. 

Council member David Skaug said that while Narcan is a lifesaving drug, city officials had to consider all opinions and, in the end, decided to ask NCW Libraries to remove it, which they did. In light of that, Skaug said he didn’t think an ordinance would be necessary. 

“I think it’s moot,” he said. “I don’t think we need the ordinance. I think (Narcan) can be something that can be readily available should the need arise.” 

The council itself was divided on the question of the dispenser at the library, with council member Don Myers saying he was a little disappointed to see it removed. Myers said a readily available source of Narcan was, in his opinion, good in case of emergency.  

“I’d rather have it be there and not needed than need it and not have it,” Myers said. 

Council member Deanna Martinez is a nurse and said that as a nurse, she supported having Narcan widely available. The library was a good spot, in her opinion, and she said she hoped it would be relocated.  

“Let’s help each other out by allowing Narcan where it’s needed, and that might just be city property,” she said. 

Council member Victor Lombardi said the proposed ordinance followed the refusal of NCW Libraries staff to, in his opinion, respond adequately to the city’s original request to move the dispenser.  

However, documentation provided by NCW Libraries shows former city staff had asked to have the machine installed at the library, where it would be accessible. The library system has indicated that outreach to establish communication regarding the Narcan machine was often not responded to or was dismissed. Further, the Narcan machine was not purchased or owned by the library, but rather Thrive Together NCW. 

Martinez said that a council member, whom she did not name, acted unprofessionally toward NCW Libraries. 

Mayor Dustin Swartz suggested revising the ordinance to allow Narcan distribution on city property with council permission, but council members opted to table it instead.