According to a presentation by Austin-Travis County EMS, Travis County is outpacing other Texas counties in opioid overdose deaths. During a City Council Public Safety Committee meeting, ATCEMS highlighted disturbing data that shows the opioid crisis touched every part of the community. The 2023 data is not available yet, but ATCEMS Division Chief Stephen White said overdose deaths jumped in the county between 2020 and 2022. “Travis County now has twice as many opioid overdose deaths than any other county in Texas,” said Stephen White, ATCEMS Division Chief
Prior to 2019, most overdoses involved people knowingly taking opioids. However, White said that’s changed since fentanyl made its way into many drugs. “They thought they were buying or taking cocaine,” White said. “They end up overdosing on it because they’re uneducated about what’s in the drug supply.” He said victims don’t realize what’s in the substance they are taking. “The people who are dying in our community are dying because they bought cocaine and had no idea that it had opioids in it. They are dying by surprise,” White continued.
White said Travis County is averaging 100 overdoses a month. In his presentation, White noted different ways ATCEMS is trying to address this. One of those initiatives is the Buprenorphine Bridge Program. Buprenorphine is a drug that can curb withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The program launched in November 2020 and has been working to provide critical support and care to people experiencing Opiate Use Disorder or OUD.
The program, run by ATCEMS’ Community Health Paramedic (CHP) Program, is a short-term “bridge” program that brings immediate relief to patients seeking treatment for their OUD. According to White, more than 500 people have entered the program and 93% have completed it.
Also, the BreathNow Program: ATCEMS is also rolling out another program this Spring to help with Narcan education. “Austin EMS has partnered with Austin Public Health in trying to address that problem with education and making Narcan available to public partners and partners within the City of Austin,” White said. White said the Breathe Now Narcan Training has been in development for six months.
He said the goal is to distribute more than 6,000 Narcan rescue kits to the community. “We’ve developed an education piece that goes along with that,” White said. “It will help educate the public on how to use Narcan in emergency situations.” They expect to announce more details on this program in the coming months.
