As part of its ongoing response to the opioid crisis, Travis County is now offering free training on how to use Narcan, the life-saving medication that reverses opioid overdoses. The free course can request training through the county’s opioid response website. The training is available to any individual, group or organization living or operating in Travis County. The curriculum covers the local and national impact of the opioid epidemic, how to recognize the signs of an overdose, proper administration of Narcan and the role of harm reduction in addressing substance use.
“It’s been encouraging to see this development of public health stepping in and trying to deepen the availability of resources,” said Eli Cortez, a community coordinator with Vocal Texas, an advocacy group for unhoused people and those struggling with addiction.
Cortez said opioid overdoses have plagued Travis County for decades. When drug-related deaths spiked in 2022, the county declared it a public health disaster.
At the time, Cortez said the fight to combat opioid overdose deaths was very community-based, with people who personally had drug addictions stepping up to hand out Narcan and educate the public about this issue.
In the past few years, he said the county and the city of Austin have made strides to help bring those numbers down, including the free naloxone training.
Participants who complete the training are eligible to receive free Narcan nasal spray kits.
Since fiscal year 2023, Travis County has distributed more than 22,000 doses of Narcan nasal spray to community organizations and partners. Narcan is also available for public use in restrooms at the Travis County Civil and Family Courts Facility and the Travis County Health and Human Services Building.
Travis County commissioners met on Tuesday to outline strategies for the next phase of their opioid overdose prevention and harm reduction initiatives. They credited expanded access to Narcan and increased funding for harm-reduction services with helping to reduce drug-related deaths from 486 in 2023 to 380 in 2024, according to the Travis County Medical Examiner’s report.
They’ve been providing peer recovery resources; methadone treatments; continued maintenance of “sharps” kiosks, where people can safely dispose of needles; and distribution of Narcan.
“I’m really excited about the direction overdose deaths are going and that they’re going down. But they’re still the No. 1 cause of accidental death in the county, so we still have a lot of work to do, but I’m glad that we’re doing this work,” Travis County Judge Andy Brown said at Tuesday’s meeting.
County leaders said the training is a crucial tool to empower residents, save lives and continue the downward trend in overdose deaths.
