Northwest Austin Edition | June 2022

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Drug-related deaths in Travis County have increased sharply in the last two years. Local health professionals, including Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes, said the increase is due to more fentanyl being pressed into pills. SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER’S OFFICECOMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER DEADLY OVERDOSES

DRUG DEATHS OVER THE YEARS

DRUG DEATHS BREAKDOWN IN 2021

350

BY AGE*

BY ETHNICITY

308

Ages 0-15 Ages 16-20 Ages 21-30 Ages 31-40 Ages 41-50 Ages 51-60 Ages 61-70

203

300

246

250

210

182

171

168

200

150 0

*The Medical Examiner's oce was not able to determine the age of one individual.

Ages 71+

2016 2017

2021

2018 2019 2020

focuses on health-based overdose pre- vention, at the May 3 town hall. “How many people need to die?” In 2021, 308 people died from drug overdoses in Travis County, according to the medical examiner’s report, an increase of 62 deaths from 2020. Travis County Health Authority Dr. Desmar Walkes said a large contribu- tor to the increase in deaths is a spike in fentanyl-laced pills on the street. Fentanyl is an opioid 50-100 times stronger than morphine that was created to address pain in cancer patients, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. While it is still used for legitimate medical purposes when given by a licensed professional, it is also being sold on the street and mixed into other illicit substances. The Travis County Medical Examin- er’s Oce found fentanyl in 118 of the county’s 2021 overdose cases, up 237% over the previous year. At the town hall Matt Hunt, a street

Report Loose Dogs on the Mobile app. outreach medic with CommUnity- Care, which provides health care to individuals in encampments, said he patients were surviving cancer, assault and other trauma. “Then fentanyl comes to town and my patients are dropping like ies,” he said. “I am asking, we need to do something now.” Austin-Travis County Emergency Management Services medic Mike Sassar said the department does not track causes of death, but he said he is concerned about the pills being passed around. “When a kid is getting [pills] from a kid in class or in youth group and goes home, no parent, no child will see a single pill and say this could kill me,” Sassar said at the town hall. Addressing the epidemic Travis County Commissioners Court declared drug deaths a public health emergency May 24.

On June 8, Austin City Council dis- cussed plans to vote on a similar dec- laration at their June 16 meeting. “I think this might be the perfect time for us to really start talking about getting at it from the root instead of trying to repeatedly triage,” Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison said. She pointed toward poverty and mental health as some of the underly- ing issues. Austin’s vote will direct money to Naloxone kits and medicine-assisted treatment; establish data collection around overdoses; and deepen part- nerships between ATCEMS, Austin Public Health and other city entities to facilitate better connections to treat- ment programs. Naloxone, often referred to by its brand name Narcan, is a nasal spray or injectable medication used to reverse an opioid overdose. Drugs such as Methadone fall under a category of

medication-assisted treatment, which is used for patients with opioid use disorder. Along with Travis County’s declara- tion, commissioners voted to provide $350,000 in funding to the THRA and other nonprot organizations for sta, naloxone and hygiene kits; hold monthly meetings with community members; and advocate for changes to state law, such as decriminalizing fentanyl test strips. Dr. Jason Pickett, the chief medical deputy director for the city of Austin, said ATCEMS is a key piece of the city’s response to addressing the crisis. The department’s Community Health Paramedic Team follows up with anyone who had an overdose and oers them connections to treatment programs, if requested, or supplies and education. ATCEMS also oers a Buprenorphine Bridge Program, which helps individuals manage their symp- toms until a treatment spot opens.

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