accessible is also paramount, Shorter said. “If we want to start stemming the tide of these deaths, Narcan needs to be everywhere,” Shorter said. Government solutions State and county entities are work- ing to address the opioid epidemic through local funding, law enforce- ment resources and increased educa- tion surrounding opioid misuse. Around 2019, the HFD began a grant-funded partnership program with Houston Recovery Center with the goal of getting more people who overdose into treatment centers. Under the partnership, first respond- ers with Houston provide real-time notifications of Narcan use to well- ness advocates with the HRC, who are then able to respond to the hospital where they can attempt to meet the patient and talk to them about over- dose education and the basics of get- ting help. “They go to the hospital and try to intervene and offer resources to the patient within an hour of transport,” Sounders said. “The research shows this is the most effective time to try to get someone to make an actual change in their life. ... You are more receptive to that help rather than if you go home, and someone offers to help you five days later.” At the county level, Brown said HCPH’s Overdose Data to Action program collects overdose data to inform local prevention and response efforts. HCPH also partners with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office to iden- tify areas of high risk and provide resources to mitigate crime and drug use in those areas in the Violence Pre- vention Program. Statewide, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Feb. 16 that the state had secured a $1.17 billion settlement with three major phar- maceutical companies: Amerisource- Bergen, McKesson and Cardinal. According to the attorney general, Texas has secured $1.89 billion to date from opioid settlements. Paxton’s office is also encourag- ing local governments to sign onto existing settlements to receive funds. According to the attorney general’s website, 482 Texas municipalities signed onto two settlements with Janssen—owned by Johnson & John- son—and with AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health and McKesson. The city of Houston will get more than $7 million from the settlement, according todocuments fromPaxton’s
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State funding and educational resources were implemented to curb opioid addiction and overdoses.
SETTLEMENTS TO ROLL OUT Harris County: $15M
Houston: $7M
West University Place: $34,672
Bellaire: $41,264
SETTLEMENT FUNDING USES
Local cities are expected to receive funds from state settlements with opioid manufacturers to be used for various purposes:
Community drug disposal programs
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Expanded telehealth to increase access to treatment Youth-focused education programs
Fellowships for addiction medicine specialists
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First responder and law enforcement training expansion
FIND HELP: Call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration National Helpline at 800-662-4357 , or visit www.samhsa. gov for resources and treatment.
SOURCE: TEXAS ATTORNEY GENERAL/ COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
office. The city of Bellaire will get just over $41,000, while the city of West University Place will receive about $34,000. Cheryl Bright, community relations administrator for Bellaire’s city manager, said recommended uses for the funds include fire fighter, paramedic and police officer training, as well as educational awareness and supplies needed to treat victims of opioid abuse when in the field. Danica Lloyd contributed to this report.
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BELLAIRE - MEYERLAND - WEST UNIVERSITY EDITION • MAY 2022
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