Government
BY HALEY MCLEOD
‘Substantial decline’ seen in fentanyl-related deaths
Travis County officials highlighted a 36% reduc- tion in deaths involving fentanyl and a 22% decrease in total opioid-related deaths during a preview April 21 of the annual Medical Examiner’s report for 2024. Fentanyl-related deaths dropped from 279 to 179 between 2023 and 2024, which Travis County Medical Examiner Dr. Keith Pinckard called “a substantial decline.” How we got here Since 2021, opioid overdose deaths have sur- passed vehicle collisions as the leading cause of accidental deaths in Travis County, according to county officials. Travis County Commissioners voted to renew a 2022 public health crisis declaration in November. As part of this effort, the county allocated $100,000 for naloxone and an additional $300,000 for future overdose prevention programs. The county has allocated nearly $5 million in federal and local funding to address the opioid
Travis County opioid deaths
In December, the county announced the first downward trend in accidental opioid deaths for the first time in three years.
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SOURCE: TRAVIS COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER/COMMUNITY IMPACT
overdose public health crisis, County Judge Andy Brown said, adding that in April the county received another $1.4 million in new opioid abatement funding from pharmaceutical settlements. A closer look In 2024, there were 1,102 emergency medical service dispatches and 878 emergency room visits
for overdoses, according to the Austin Public Health opioid overdose dashboard. While last year saw a slight decline in over- dose-related calls, 2025 is shaping up to show a more “dramatic” drop, said Robert Luckritz, chief of Travis County Emergency Medical Services.
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