A Vending Machine for Health Supplies
Ashley Mowreader
April 15, 2025
Machines selling drugstore items such as bandages and tampons give community college students greater access to affordable health products.
According to a May 2024 Student Voice survey, roughly one in five community college students (19 percent) believe their institution should invest in wellness facilities or services to promote well-being. A recent pilot program across the state of California seeks to remove barriers to accessing health supplies for community college students.
The Wellness Vending Machine Pilot Program, a state-funded program established by Assembly Bill 2482, which passed in 2022, aims to make preventative care products more accessible to college students. The program provides funding for 18 colleges to address students’ physical health and overall academic success in a unique, lower-cost way: through vending machines that dispense everything from Band-Aids to birth control.
For some institutions, like College of the Redwoods, the vending machine is the primary source of personal care products on campus.
