At high school football games across the state, students and parents got a crucial reminder of the dangers of fentanyl. Gov. Greg Abbott teamed up with Texas’ biggest college football coaches for a message designed for Friday night lights. KXAN’s Ryan Chandler reports on how the state is trying to combat fentanyl deaths.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott teamed up with some of the state’s college football coaches for an ad campaign warning about the dangers of fentanyl, which is set to air at high school football games across the state Friday night.
The ad features UT Austin head football coach Steve Sarkisian, Texas A&M’s Mike Elko, Texas Tech’s Joey McGuire, and University of Houston’s Willie Fritz. In just over a minute, they encourage Texas high schoolers and parents to learn about the dangers of fentanyl and practice safe behaviors.
From 2019 to 2023, fentanyl deaths in Texas increased by more than 600%, killing 7,000 people in four years.
Last year, Abbott designated October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month in Texas and signed a slate of bipartisan laws designed to prevent and penalize fentanyl deaths.
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
Read more from our media partners at Nexstar station KXAN-TV in Austin
