Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced on Tuesday the proclamation of October 2024 as “Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month,” aiming to educate Texans about the dangers of the fentanyl epidemic and its devastating impact across the country.
“Fentanyl is a clandestine killer that rips away loved ones forever,” Abbott stated in an October 1 press release.
This new initiative from Abbott’s office is part of the ongoing “One Pill Kills” campaign, which focuses on raising awareness of the deadly consequences of fentanyl use and providing awareness and information on how to prevent, recognize, and respond to overdoses.
Abbott emphasized the importance of community engagement in his proclamation, specifically highlighting the need for public education on the use of the medication Narcan.
“I encourage my fellow Texans to speak openly and have meaningful conversations about the dangers of fentanyl and the opioid poisoning reversal medication naloxone as its commonly known, Narcan, which has been distributed to law enforcement personnel in all 254 counties,” Abbott’s proclamation reads.
In March of 2023, the Food and Drug Administration announced its approval of the first over-the-counter Narcan nasal spray, aiming to combat the rising number of opioid overdose deaths. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the approval was given to Emergent BioSolutions for their 4-milligram (mg) naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray.
Abbott has also introduced four pieces of legislation, all of which he signed last year to combat the growing fentanyl epidemic, some of these laws directly incorporating Narcan.
House Bill 6: This law establishes a murder charge for those supplying fentanyl that results in death and enhances penalties for manufacturing or delivering fentanyl. It also mandates that fentanyl-related deaths be classified as such on death certificates rather than simply as overdoses.
House Bill 3144: This legislation formalizes October as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month, aimed at increasing public awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
House Bill 3908 (Tucker’s Law): This bill requires public schools to provide annual education on fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness for students in grades 6 through 12 and establish a “Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week.”
Senate Bill 867: This law allows the distribution of opioid antagonists, such as NARCAN, at colleges and universities to help prevent opioid poisonings.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, in the fiscal year of 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection claimed they seized 27,000 pounds of fentanyl, an 84% increase from the 14,700 pounds seized in 2022. April of 2023 saw the highest monthly seizure of fentanyl, with 3,220 pounds.
Abbott has continued collaborating with the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Texas National Guard to enhance border security. Since the launch of Operation Lone Star in March 2021, Texas law enforcement has confiscated over 471 million lethal doses of fentanyl, according to a press release from Abbott’s office published in March.
However, even with the new initiatives to combat the opioid crisis in the country, fentanyl has emerged as the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18 to 45, with fentanyl-related fatalities in Texas surging over 600% from 2019 to 2023. The governor’s office also reported that more than 7,000 Texans lost their lives to this potent opioid during those four years.