Cedar Park - Far Northwest Austin Edition | June 2023

HEALTH CARE Ocials ramping up fentanyl overdose prevention measures

A FENTANYL FORCE

BY GRANT CRAWFORD

“So now the victim goes to jail if they won’t give up their drug dealer,” Gleason said. The unit has been involved in six arrests this year in reference to fentanyl-related deaths with three deaths being high school students in Williamson County, Gleason said. Fentanyl gures Williamson County saw 39 overdose deaths in 2022, while the sheri’s oce received around 390 calls to respond to fentanyl overdoses. These gures don’t represent the total number of incidents in the county as Gleason’s department only records data from unincorporated areas. Through April, Williamson County justices of the peace, who investigate deaths of unidentied people and unknown causes of death, averaged two overdose cases per week. In all of Travis County there were 245 accidental fentanyl-related overdoses in 2022, up 58% from the 118 overdoses in 2021, according to data released April 26 by the Travis County medical examiner. Emergency responses In April, the Williamson County EMS Community Health Paramedic and Public Education programs coor- dinated to place Narcan in schools and other facilities in the county. Doses have been placed with debrillators at Round Rock ISD high schools and Leander ISD elementary schools. The overdose-reversing drug has also been placed at all Williamson County, city of

The Central Texas Task Force Overdose Investigation Team was created with the purpose of educating the public about fentanyl, prosecuting those accused of distributing fentanyl and oering rehabilitation services to communities.

It can’t be detected by sight, taste or smell, and one pill can kill. This is the message Williamson County Sheri Mike Gleason, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and state and local law enforcement are trying to send as ocials have ramped up eorts in recent months to address a rise in fentanyl overdoses. “Fentanyl is a drug that does not allow you a second chance,” Gleason said. “You don’t get to wake up the next morning.” In early May, Williamson County commissioners approved an agree- ment among the DEA, the Department of Homeland Security, National Guard, the sheri’s oce and local law enforcement to form the Central Texas Task Force Overdose Investigation Team. Each member agency is contrib- uting personnel—who will be sworn in as federal law enforcement ocers. Those members will respond to scenes where a death is suspected to be a result of a fentanyl overdose, and those suspected of committing fen- tanyl-related oenses will be charged locally and federally. “Our goal is to prosecute those that are killing in our community; our goal is to educate the community about the seriousness of this matter; and our goal is to oer rehabilitation services to help people get on the right track,” County Judge Bill Gravell said. This year, the sheri’s oce’s Orga- nized Crime Unit began arresting those who survive overdoses and charging them with possession.

Member agencies include:

Williamson County Sheri’s Oce

Drug Enforcement Administration

Department of Homeland Security

Other regional law enforcement oces

SOURCE: WILLIAMSON COUNTYCOMMUNITY IMPACT

Leander and city of Hutto buildings. In 2022, Williamson County EMS administered 420 doses of Narcan. The sheri’s oce received an additional 850 doses in mid-April for deputies. Gleason said deputies and facilities are supplied with multiple doses of Narcan because victims can often relapse moments after an overdose. “I can say every [overdose] that I’ve seen, the rst [Narcan] dose didn’t work,” he said. “It took two or three.” Undercover narcotics units for the sheri’s oce have also discovered this year a new drug mixture contain- ing fentanyl and xylazine, an overdose of which can’t be reversed by Narcan. Education eorts Gleason said education is key to addressing the fentanyl issue. Using money from the depart- ment’s asset forfeiture fund, he donated $25,000 to the nonprot Texas Against Fentanyl, funding

House Bill 3908 in the Texas Leg- islature, which would mandate fentanyl education in middle and high schools. Introduced by state Rep. Terry Wilson, RGeorgetown, the bill was sent to Gov. Greg Abbott on May 30. Gleason said it’s also important to teach parents about fentanyl and to encourage them to speak to their children. He said it’s common for students to look for prescription opioids online, such as Xanax or Per- cocet, and not realize what they’re normal kids,” he said. “They think they’re just taking a Percocet to go to bed [or] relax. ... But they don’t know what they’ve taken. Then mom goes to wake them up in the morning, and they’re dead.” For more information about Texas Against Fentanyl’s eorts, visit www.txaf.org. purchasing contains fentanyl. “A lot of these kids, they’re

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