On Sept. 14, DAP Health unveiled a vending machine that dispenses free harm reduction materials at Hunters Nightclub in Palm Springs. This vending machine is the first of its kind in the Coachella Valley, with similar machines appearing in various parts of California and other states, including New York City.
DAP Health's Chief of Community Health, C.J. Tobe, explained that the primary goal of this vending machine is to make life-saving tools more accessible to the local community. "It extends the reach of our harm reduction program team, which has been operational since 2022,” said Tobe in a DAP press release. “It’s all about bridging gaps and building trust so that we can bring more vulnerable people into care — and into recovery if that’s something that appeals to them.”
Last June, DAP Health's harm reduction team organized a Raw Talk event at Hunters, featuring a panel of experts including Harm Reduction Supervisor Neil Gussardo, Peer Support Specialist Hans Kowall, Palm Springs Fire Department Public Information Officer Nathan Gunkel, and members of the Palm Springs Police Department. The panel discussion was moderated by Rusty Waters, a local drag personality.
The vending machine at Hunters is just the beginning of DAP Health's plan to install more than a dozen such machines across the Coachella Valley, some offering 24/7 access. Initially, this machine will offer six complimentary items, including Narcan (naloxone nasal spray for opioid overdose reversal), HIV self-test kits, GHB safer-use kits, fentanyl testing kits, safer-boofing kits, and safer-snorting kits. All products, except Narcan, will be concealed in unmarked, color-coded bags. Users will need to complete a confidential nine-question survey about their age, gender, race, drug use, and HIV/HCV status to access the free supplies. The collected data will inform future harm reduction efforts.
"The great thing about the data collected is that it will enable us to learn how best to allocate our resources in the future," said Neil Gussardo, Harm Reduction Supervisor, in the release.
Hunters Nightclub's co-owner, Jennifer Seymour, expressed pride in hosting the first harm reduction vending machine in the Coachella Valley. "All of us at Hunters care deeply about our clientele and the larger community,” said Seymour in the release. “When DAP Health approached us to partner with them on this groundbreaking desert initiative, we jumped at the chance. We are very proud to host the first harm reduction vending machine ever to be installed in the Coachella Valley."