NEWS BRIEFS ABIA traffic has increased 80% from last year
Stories from the Austin metro & Texas
Gov. Greg Abbott pushes for expanded access to overdose-reversal medication
AIR TRAVEL ON THE RISE
Passenger travel through Austin- Bergstrom International Airport was up 38% year over year in August, re ecting an upward trend in air tra c in 2022 compared to 2021.
BY HANNAH NORTON
At an Oct. 18 news conference, Gov. Greg Abbott advocated for state funding for the distribution of Narcan, a opioid overdose-reversal medication. Abbott spoke at the Texas Depart- ment of Public Safety o ce in Waco and was joined by DPS Director Steve McCraw and McLennan County Sheri Parnell McNamara. He discussed the state’s new “One Pill Kills” campaign, which was introduced Oct. 17. The campaign focuses on the dan- gers of fentanyl poisoning, which occurs when someone unknowingly ingests the deadly opioid and subsequently overdoses. Abbott encouraged lawmakers to consider o cially de ning fentanyl overdoses as poisonings during the 88th Texas Legislature, which will begin Jan. 10. If the reclassi cation is successful, Abbott said it would
YEAR TO DATE 2021
7.65M
BY HANNAH NORTON
About 13.8 million people traveled through Austin-Bergstrom Interna- tional Airport from January through August, according to a press release from the airport. This means total passenger tra c was up 80% from the same time frame last year, which saw about 7.7 million passengers, according to the release. During August, nearly 1.8 million people visited the airport, a 38% increase from August 2021. Nearly half of those passengers boarded ights out of ABIA, the release stated. Additionally, airport o cials projected high passenger tra c—days with more than 30,000 departing passengers—for 12 days in October as people visit the city for the Austin City Limits Music Festival and the Formula One Grand Prix race.
YEAR TO DATE 2022
13.75M
AUGUST 2021
1.3M
Gov. Greg Abbott spoke of the dangers of fentanyl Oct. 18.
AUGUST 2022
1.79M
COURTESY OFFICE OF THE TEXAS GOVERNOR
SOURCE: CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
be considered murder to knowingly give someone fentanyl-laced drugs that lead to their death. “The good news is that there is an immediate response antidote [for] someone who takes fentanyl,” Abbott said. “They could be going through a seizure on the brink of losing their life, and if they can gain access to Narcan, that can save their life instantly.” Narcan should be carried by law enforcement o cers and provided to schools, Abbott said.
Passenger tra c hit a record high at ABIA after last year’s race with over 35,000 people traveling through the airport Oct. 25, 2021. Additionally, air cargo tra c at ABIA surpassed 27 million pounds in August, up 51% from August 2021. During busy days, o cials recom- mend arriving at the airport at least two and a half hours before domestic ights and three hours before inter- national ights.
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LAKE TRAVIS WESTLAKE EDITION • NOVEMBER 2022
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