Austin overdose deaths plummet
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Drug-related deaths in Travis County have dropped from pandemic-era highs, but are still above 2019 levels, CDC data shows.
Why it matters: Fatal overdoses initially rose during the COVID pandemic, but have been falling since 2023 as naloxone, which reverses an opioid overdose, has become more widely available.
Flashback: Narcan, the best-known name brand of the drug, was made available over the counter in 2023. It is standard issue for first responders and available in treatment centers and some public places.
By the numbers: Deaths from opioid use are still the No. 1 cause of accidental death in Travis County, Travis County Judge Andy Brown said this week, but opioid-related deaths dropped from 486 in 2023 to 380 in 2024, a 22% decrease. Fentanyl-related deaths decreased from 279 to 179 in that same time frame, or 36%, Brown said.
- Opioids include drugs like fentanyl and oxycodone. Naloxone works only on opioid overdoses.
What they're saying: "We are no longer in Austin and Travis County reacting to a crisis," Mayor Kirk Watson said at a news conference this week to talk about how a $2 million federal grant that's ending (as scheduled) helped make progress in fighting overdoses. "We are building a system that prevents it."
- The decline translates into "lives saved, families intact and a community that's learning how to keep each other safe," Watson said.
Zoom in: Among other things, the grant paid for the distribution of more than 24,000 doses of Narcan — including in every police car, ambulance and fire engine — and the training of more than 1,100 people in how to recognize an overdose and administer naloxone.
Yes, but: Even with the decline, numbers are still above pre-pandemic figures.
- In the 12-month period ending in January 2020, there were about 174 overdose deaths in Travis County, per CDC data.
What's next: Despite the scheduled end to the federal funding, the city and county will continue the anti-opioid programs, using funding from court-ordered opioid settlements, said Desmar Walkes, medical director of Austin Public Health.