Travis County renews public health crisis declaration amid rising local opioid overdoses

While Texas has reported its lowest number of opioid overdoses since 2020, Travis County is experiencing a continued rise in overdoses and deaths, prompting local authorities to extend the public health crisis declaration on opioid use until 2026.

The action taken

On Nov. 12, Travis County commissioners renewed the 2022 declaration of a public health crisis, allocating $100,000 for naloxone—medicine that treats a narcotic overdose in an emergency—purchases in the new year and an additional $300,000 for future overdose prevention programs.

By the numbers

County staff told commissioners the area continues to see overdose surges, like the most recent surge in April, with 79 overdoses and nine suspected overdose deaths. The opioid overdose trends have not "plateaued” yet, said Laura Peveto, a division director at Travis County Health and Human Services.

“The things that we have accomplished are awareness, understanding, acknowledgement,” Peveto said. “... but we're still having people die on a regular basis from an overdose. So we're not there yet, and we certainly need to continue to be aggressive in how we address this.”

The Travis County Medical Examiner annual report for 2023 shows that drug toxicity is the No. 1 cause of accidental deaths in Travis County—ahead of both falls and motor vehicle fatalities.

​​In 2023, there were 486 total overdose deaths—a 17% increase from 2022—with 279 being accidental fentanyl-related overdoses.

County documents highlighted five ZIP codes with the highest number of accidental drug deaths that include most of the Central Austin area and also covering The Domain and Rundberg neighborhoods in North Austin.

Prior action

In recent years Travis County has received various settlement funds. To date, the county anticipates $4.7 million in total opioid abatement settlement payouts to occur over an 18-year period.

This funding is used toward local harm reduction services targeting the opioid health epidemic.

Early this year, county officials allocated $325,000 from the opioid abatement budget for peer recovery and methadone programs throughout the next fiscal year.

Funds have also been used towards the Santa Maria substance abuse clinic expansion project, as well as installing sharps collection kiosks throughout the community.

Future investments could include street outreach, drop-in center and drug user health education.

Of note

County commissioners urged staff to continue working with the city of Austin and Central Health, the local hospital district, as both entities have also received millions in settlement funds.

Central Health is actively working to procure naloxone vending machines to provide free, low-barrier access to overdose treatment, Peveto said, adding that this initiative presents an opportunity for collaboration, with the county potentially contributing by supplying the vending machines.

Travis County has distributed nine rounds of naloxone since the fall of 2022, totaling 17,468 doses of Narcan nasal sprays.

Local health professionals and advocates also called on commissioners to push for legislative measures to increase opioid overdose prevention.

During the 88th Texas legislative session, there were dozens of bills filed to combat the opioid epidemic, including:

• House Bill 6, which increased the criminal penalty for anyone distributing a fatal dose of fentanyl
• Senate Bill 867, which allows the distribution of opioid overdose prevention substances, such as Narcan, to Texas universities and colleges

• Legalize fentanyl test strips
• Mandate the tracking of opioids from manufacturers to patients to ensure the supply doesn’t end up on the street

“It is critical more than ever that our servicers have the supplies and funding they need,” Carter said. “We urge you to not turn your head from this, from this issue, the crisis that we are seeing every day, needs your full attention. This is not over, and we have to keep our community alive.”

Atirikta Kumar contributed to this article.