Gov. Greg Abbott made addressing the state’s “growing fentanyl crisis” one of his key legislative priorities this session. On Thursday, he announced additional steps the state is taking to curb deaths from a drug that took the lives of 2,012 Texas last year.
Speaking at a summit with state leaders, stakeholders and families of Texans who died from fentanyl poisoning, Abbott announced the state will be doling out millions of dollars to take immediate action while the legislature works on passing bills aiming to curb the crisis.
The Republican governor directed the Texas Division of Emergency Management to begin distributing Narcan, an opioid reversal tool, to every county in Texas. Additionally, he announced the state unveiled a $10 million multimedia PSA-style campaign to educate Texans on the dangers of the drug and how to prevent and reverse fentanyl deaths.
“We are eager to distribute life-saving medication to counteract the impacts of the fentanyl crisis,” said TDEM Chief Kidd. “As we work together to help Texas communities combat these deadly drugs, I look forward to working with local officials and first responders to provide medication that reverses the deadly effects of opioids.”
The “One Pill Kills” campaign will be made up of television, radio and online public service announcements and is being led by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Proceeds from Texas’ settlements with pharmaceutical companies and opioid manufacturers are funding the $10 million effort. ---.READ MORE HERE
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| Eddie Gaspar/The Texas Tribune |
The “One Pill Kills” campaign is funded with the help of a federal grant, and the statewide Narcan distribution is being paid for with funds from Texas’ settlement agreement with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.
To combat the growing number of fentanyl overdose deaths in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday announced a $10 million fentanyl awareness campaign and plan to distribute doses of Narcan to every county in the state.
Abbott said the state’s “One Pill Kills” multimedia campaign is designed to warn Texans about the unlawful use of fentanyl, the synthetic opioid that is 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. In addition, the governor said the Texas Division of Emergency Management will be delivering a total of 20,000 doses of the overdose-reversing medication, naloxone, more commonly known as Narcan, to all 254 counties in Texas.
“Fentanyl is killing more Texans than ever before,” Abbott said at the “One Pill Kills” summit on Thursday. “Last year, 2,012 Texans lost their lives because of fentanyl. When you think about it, that is an average of more than five people in Texas losing their lives every day because of fentanyl.”
The Narcan doses each come as a nasal spray and will be distributed to sheriff offices in each county.
Overdose deaths involving fentanyl in Texas rose nearly 400%, from 333 people dying in fiscal year 2019 to 1,662 dying in fiscal year 2021. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 5,000 people have died of drug overdoses between July 2021 and July 2022.
“Each branch of our administration is informing Texans about this crisis and how they can avoid falling victim to deadly fentanyl,” Abbott said. --->READ MORE HERE
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