There are ramped-up efforts to tackle the fentanyl crisis in Texas.
Governor Greg Abbott announced two major statewide initiatives on Thursday during his One Pill Kills summit in Austin, which also included panel discussions led by families, healthcare professionals and law enforcement agencies working to crack down on the deadly drug.
The governor was surrounded by mothers who lost children to fentanyl, including Debbie Petersen of Carrollton.
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"It feels good to be around other parents who have also lost children because they're the only ones who can understand each other,” she said.
She lost her 30-year-old son, Matt, to fentanyl poisoning last year. He was one of 2,000 Texans who lost their lives to the synthetic opioid in 2022.
"He thought he was buying an oxy pill and instead there was no oxy in it,” said Petersen.
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She said Gov. Abbott spent time with the parents after the summit and listened to their stories.
“He allowed me to tell Matt's story – that Matt is a 30-year-old genius IQ, that Matt was an avid skateboarder, a movie buff. He's a musician who has a YouTube channel. That Matt was working at the University of Texas at Arlington and has his master's degree. He loved skateboarding, loved movies, loved his friends, loved traveling,” she said.
She said her son was so much more than the drug that killed him – it’s an effort she and other parents are working on to break the stigmas surrounding victims of fentanyl.
"We're getting the word out that it happens to the richest and the poorest, to the most educated and to ones that don't have as much education. It happens across every line,” she said.
Stephanie Hellstern of the North Texas Fentanyl Coalition – who lost her own son, Kyle, to fentanyl – said education about those stigmas and what the drug can do to people is crucial in saving lives.
"Within a couple of months, we knew what to do for COVID, right? You know, wear masks, stay distanced, all that. But with this, why are we not having PSAs? Why are we not having education?" she said.
ABBOTT’S PLAN
The two-part battle plan to fight fentanyl involves a new $10 million multimedia awareness initiative through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to educate Texans on how to prevent, recognize, and reverse fentanyl poisonings as part of the statewide "One Pill Kills" campaign.
The awareness would take the form of billboards, website and social media advertisements and radio spots.
The governor also announced the plan to distribute Naloxone, or Narcan, to all 254 Texas counties by the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM). The drug reverses fentanyl poisonings and helps bring the person out of unconsciousness.
According to the manufacturer, "Narcan nasal spray is a prescription medicine used for the treatment of a known or suspected opioid overdose emergency with signs of breathing problems and severe sleepiness or not being able to respond."
The active ingredient in Narcan is naloxone hydrochloride. Narcan is the brand name for the device that delivers naloxone into the nasal cavity.
"With five Texans losing their lives every day to this clandestine killer, I launched our statewide 'One Pill Kills' campaign last fall to combat the growing fentanyl crisis wreaking havoc on innocent Texans and communities across our state,” Gov. Abbott said during the summit.
“I thank HHSC for their hard work to raise awareness of fentanyl poisonings and prevention, as well as the Office of the Attorney General and TDEM for securing and implementing the distribution of NARCAN to every county in Texas. I am proud to be here today with so many strong voices leading the fight against the fentanyl crisis in Texas communities. Together, we will save more innocent lives from being lost to the scourge of fentanyl," Abbott said.
HHSC partnered with the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio to create a multimedia initiative to educate the public about the dangers of fentanyl and how to use NARCAN to save Texans exposed to the deadly drug.
The new media campaign is targeted toward youth, parents, adults, and educators throughout the state using billboards, website and social media advertisements, Spanish radio announcements, and more.
"It is crucial we raise awareness of the dangers of fentanyl to prevent poisonings in Texas," said HHSC Executive Commissioner Young. "All Texans should understand fentanyl risks and talk with their loved ones about its dangers and the life-saving power of NARCAN. Through this $10 million multimedia operation, HHSC is helping Texas lead the fight against the fentanyl crisis plaguing our state and nation."
TDEM will soon begin distributing the first 20,000 units to county sheriff's offices across the state. Each of Texas' 254 county sheriff's offices will be eligible to receive a portion of this first allotment based on county population and size.
FENTANYL IN NORTH TEXAS
The announcements from Gov. Abbott come just one day after a 13-year-old in Carrollton had to be revived by Narcan several times in a middle school classroom.
It’s unknown at this time if fentanyl was the direct cause in that incident, but the school district has seen a rash of fentanyl overdoses and deaths in recent months. Arrests were also made in connection to the cases.
Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD now requires Narcan to be available at all campuses.
However, what is happening in Carrollton is far from isolated.
Irving Police shared warning flyers about fentanyl this week. They've seen an uptick in arrests and overdoses over the last two years, even among school-age kids.
“Fentanyl right now is the strongest, most dangerous drug that we've seen on the streets in a very long time,” said Officer Robert Reeves with Irving Police. “It’s 100 times stronger than morphine, it's 50 times stronger than heroin.”
Just two milligrams of fentanyl, equal to 10-15 grains of table salt, is considered a lethal dose.
Irving police says the DEA is also warning about drug dealers selling fentanyl with Narcan.
"So, hearing that and learning that information – and the fact that people are still willing to take this narcotic – it just blows your mind,” said Reeves.
Van Zandt County also launched an all-new fentanyl task force this week after a 13-year-old overdosed on Monday. The student was transported to Children's Hospital in Dallas
"He is alive and struggling. That was the second fentanyl-involved incident in that particular school in the last 30 days,” said Van Zandt County Criminal District Attorney Tonda Curry. “That is two too many and even though that particular student did not obtain the drug at school, it still affects our children and our schools.
One day after the task force was assembled, the person suspected of supplying fentanyl to students was found and arrested. Officials say 150 fentanyl pills were seized.
"These people that are selling fentanyl to our kids, they don't go get prescription pharmaceutical fentanyl," said Curry. "They sell the stuff that is made in illicit labs, the stuff that kills. They know, they are not stupid, they know they sell stuff that kills to our kids. They choose dollars over children. We don't. We choose to protect the children.
Currently, House Bill 3908 is under consideration in the Texas Legislature, which would require fentanyl education and awareness in schools across the state.
As Petersen connects with other families and continues her own awareness efforts, she’s warning parents of the realities of fentanyl and the way it has changed the recreational drug scene.
"Please talk to your neighbors, your children, your friends – let them know that there is no recreational drug use anymore, that fentanyl is now being put in every drug out there,” she said.
