Fort Bend County officials are looking at ways to prevent opioid addiction in the county.

In a nutshell

At a Nov. 12 meeting, Fort Bend County commissioners approved a plan to spend roughly $526,377 over the next two years to combat opioid addiction and deaths in the county through education, data collection and specialized personnel.

The plan comes after the county received $575,000 in settlement funds from participating in lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, retail companies and distributors, Fort Bend County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson said.

“We sued them for ... promoting false and misleading market practices which minimize the risk of serious addiction, ignoring science and consumer health for profit, and conspiring with various distributors and retailers to oversupply opioids to residents of Fort Bend County—far in excess the amount that could possibly be consumed for therapeutic and health purposes,” she said.


By the numbers

Fort Bend County saw significantly fewer cases of opioid hospitalizations than Harris County but still ranked above most other counties in Texas, according to 2021 data, the most recent available, from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Meanwhile, Texas has seen at least 8,000 cases of hospitalization per year due to opioid use.

The breakdown

According to agenda documents, $147,884 of funds will support three Fort Bend County Health and Human Services initiatives over a two year period, including:
  • Enhancing education and community engagement through community collaborations
  • Supporting data collection and research in the county
  • Developing a prevention framework to guide action and policy through prevention, treatment and harm reduction
Additionally, the court system will utilize $191,252 to:
  • Support drug testing and screening costs
  • Hire a recovery coach to provide peer support
Meanwhile, the county District Attorney’s office will hire a certified community supervision and corrections officer at a two year cost of $187,240. This person will specialize in assessments of clients involved in the justice system who are suffering from opioid addictions, according to agenda documents.


What they’re saying

“The opioid crisis is a new American war that is being waged by law enforcement, the judicial system, the medical industry, schools and, of course, families who have been impacted by the loss of loved ones or who are suffering watch their loved ones struggle with addiction,” Smith-Lawson said. “It is a matter of public safety, and it is a concern of this body as it impacts the wellbeing of Fort Bend County residents."

Looking ahead

County staff will continue exploring alternative funding options to receive more funds to combat opioid addiction countywide, Smith-Lawson said. More funding could also come to the county through other settlements in the future, she said.