* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. CAN YOU HEAR ME? [00:00:01] WE'RE ABOUT TO GET STARTED. [Naloxone Delivery Press Conference] GOOD MORNING. AUSTIN MUST TREAT THIS CRISIS OF OVERDOSE AND OVERDOSE DEATHS AS THE PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THAT IT IS. WE CAN SAVE LIVES AND BUILD A CITY ROOTED IN CARE AND COMPASSION FOR ALL BY CREATING OUR RESPONSE TO THE OVERDOSE CRISIS IN HARM REDUCTION STRATEGIES. TRAVIS COUNTY WITNESSED 308 PEOPLE DIE FROM PREVENTABLE OVERDOSES LAST YEAR. THAT'S A 237% INCREASE OVER 2019. OF THAT FIGURE, 118 DEATHS WERE ATTRIBUTED TO FENTANYL, A DRUG MUCH MORE LETHAL THAN HEROIN. WHAT IS MOST TROUBLING IS THAT THE AGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OVERDOSING IS TRENDING YOUNGER AND YOUNGER. AND WHAT WAS FIRST A DRUG GIVEN TO CANCER PATIENTS TO CONTROL. PAIN IS NOW BEING PASSED AROUND AMONG YOUTH. OPIOID REVERSAL IS ACHIEVED THROUGH THE DRUG NALOXONE, AND IT'S IN HIGH DEMAND ACROSS OUR NATION. UNFORTUNATELY, THIS DEMAND IS BECAUSE THERE'S AN INCREASING RATE OF OVERDOSE DEATHS. TODAY WE ARE HERE TO ANNOUNCE THE DELIVERY OF NALOXONE TO OUR PARTNER, UM, AGENCY, THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE. THIS MEDICATION WAS RECEIVED FROM A HUMANITARIAN AID ORGANIZATION, DIRECT RELIEF, WHICH WORKS TO EXPAND ACCESS TO MEDICATIONS AND HEALTHCARE ACROSS THE UNITED STATES. AND IN MORE THAN 80 PLUS COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, DIRECT RELIEF PROVIDED A ONE TIME DO, UH, SHIPMENT OF 9,900 DOSES OF NALOXONE. UM, IF SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, TAKES OPIOIDS OR PRESCRIPTION OPIOIDS SUCH AS OXYCODONE OR HYDROCODONE FOR PAIN, YOU MUST BE PREPARED FOR A POSSIBLE LIFE THREATENING OPIOID OVERDOSE EMERGENCY. WE ARE URGING ALL PHARMACIES TO REQUEST STOCKS OF OXONE FOR THEIR SHELVES SO THAT IT WILL BE MORE ACCESSIBLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. NALOXONE IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL CARE, AND THIS MEDICATION IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR PREVENTION. WE MUST ADDRESS THE SYSTEMIC ISSUES THAT ARE LEADING TO THE OPIOID ABUSE PROBLEM THAT WE SEE IN OUR COUNTRY AND IN OUR COUNTY, AND WE ARE HERE TODAY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP IN ACHIEVING THAT. I WANNA THANK OUR PARTNERS ALONG WITH THE CITY AND COUNTY LEADERSHIP FOR MAKING THIS POSSIBLE. AND NOW I'LL PASS IT ON TO JUDGE BROWN. THANKS, DR. WALKS. UM, GOOD MORNING. I'M TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE ANDY BROWN, AND WANNA THANK THE MAYOR AND DR. WALKS SO MUCH FOR WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS. UM, SINCE TAKING OFF, IT'S, IT'S BEEN MY PRIORITY TO INCREASE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF EVERYBODY IN OUR COUNTY. AND THE FACT THAT DRUG OVERDOSES HAVE BECOME THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH IN TRAVIS COUNTY, UH, SPURD US TO ACTION EARLIER THIS YEAR. AND BECAUSE OF THESE ALMOST 10,000 DOSES OF NALOXONE THAT AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS PROVIDING TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, WE HAVE NEARLY 10,000 MORE CHANCES TO SAVE LIVES HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY. I THINK IT'S A, IT'S AN EXCITING DAY FOR TRAVIS COUNTY IN AUSTIN TO KNOW THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS INVESTMENT IN NALOXONE AND PUBLIC HEALTH IN OUR COMMUNITIES. EARLIER THIS YEAR, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY OR PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF OVERDOSES. WE HAVE INVESTED 350,000 INTO PURCHASING NALOXONE AND OTHER MEASURES TO REDUCE THE HARM CAUSED BY FENTANYL AND OPIOIDS. UM, AS DR. WAL MENTIONED EARLIER, THE NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM FENTANYL AND OVERDOSES IN IS INCREASING. IN THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR ALONE, WE'VE SEEN ALMOST DOUBLE THE RATE OF FENTANYL DEATHS AND OPIOID DEATHS IN OUR COMMUNITY. UM, IT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING DRUGS THAT THEY GET ILLEGALLY OR WITHOUT A PRESCRIPTION DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S FENTANYL IN IT, AND A SMALL AMOUNT AS A GRAIN OF SALT CAN KILL YOU IF IT IS IN THOSE PILLS. SO TOGETHER WE CAN SAVE LIVES BY KNOWING WHAT TO DO IF WE SEE SOMEONE OVERDOSE AND WHAT TO SAY, UM, TO PEOPLE WHO ARE AT HIGHER RISK OF OVERDOSING AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED. DURING AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, UM, MUSIC FESTIVAL, THE WE'RE, WE'RE OF COURSE VERY [00:05:01] CONCERNED WITH ANY LARGE EVENTS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY, MAKING SURE THAT NALOXONE OR NARCAN IS AVAILABLE. AUSTIN CITY LIMITS TOOK AN EXTRA STEP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY SECURED ANOTHER COUPLE HUNDRED DOSES JUST AT THE FESTIVAL THROUGH A, A NONPROFIT THAT HELPED THEM. AND THEN TRAVIS COUNTY ALSO SUPPLIED ABOUT 60 DOSES TO THE BARS AND BARTENDERS AT AUSTIN CITY LIMITS. AND WE'RE TRYING TO CONTINUE THAT EFFORT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH AUSTIN INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS AVAILABLE IN EVERY SCHOOL IN TRAVIS COUNTY OR IN AUSTIN, IN AUSTIN'S DISTRICT. I GUESS AS PART OF THAT CAMPAIGN, NURSES ARE RECEIVING NALOXONE AND THEY'RE LEARNING HOW TO USE IT IN CASE OF AN EMERGENCY IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE KNOW WHAT TO DO AND ALSO HAVE THESE TOOLS TO RESPOND IS CRITICAL TO SAVING LIVES HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND REDUCING OVERDOSE DEATHS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE EFFORTS ARE ONE MORE WAY THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. SO NOW I'LL PASS IT OVER TO AUSTIN MAYOR STEVE ADLER. THANKS, MAYOR. THANK YOU. I WANNA BEGIN BY, UM, THANKING, UM, UH, DR. WALKS FOR, FOR CONTINUING TO VIGILANTLY KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE. UH, AND I WANT TO SPECIALLY THANK, UH, JUDGE BROWN FOR HIS, UH, LEADERSHIP, UH, ON THIS PARTICULAR, ON THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UH, A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS AGO THAT, UH, I BROUGHT THE FIRST RESOLUTION CONCERNING THIS MATTER TO THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL. AND AT THAT TIME, UH, OPIOID ADDICTION AND DEATHS WERE SOMETHING THAT WE SAW JUST GOING OFF THE CHARTS AND CITIES ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY. IT HAD NOT HIT AUSTIN YET, UH, IN THE WAY THAT SOME COMMUNITIES WERE SEEING IT, BUT WE WERE ALREADY THEN BEGINNING TO SEE THE, THE EARLY SIGNS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY. UH, WE BEGAN TO, TO RAMP UP AND, AND FOCUS MORE ATTENTION. UH, BUT OUR NUMBERS HAVE CONTINUED TO INCREASE. UH, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO EVEN MORE. UH, THIS SUMMER THE CITY COUNCIL PASSED A RESOLUTION TO SUPPORT THE, UH, ACTION TAKEN BY TRAVIS, UH, COUNTY, UH, ALSO DECLARING THIS TO BE A PUBLIC HEALTH, UH, EMERGENCY, UH, IN NOW AND IN OUR COMMUNITY, GIVEN WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE, WITH THE NUMBERS. UH, AND THERE WILL BE ANOTHER ITEM ON OUR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA THIS WEEK, UH, UH, PUTTING ALMOST A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TOWARD TRAINING IN OUR COMMUNITY. I MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOT ONLY RECOGNIZE HERE TODAY THAT THAT, THAT WE HAVE THE ABILITY PERHAPS TO, TO SAVE 10,000 LIVES IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH THIS, UH, UH, KNOX ALONE, UM, UH, RESOURCE. BUT IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT, AS DR. WALK SAID, TO UNDERSTAND THAT PREVENTION IS SIGNIFICANTLY OF GREATER IMPORTANCE THAN DEALING WITH THE IMMEDIACY OF AN EMERGENCY. AND THE CITY AND COUNTY AND CENTRAL HEALTH ARE, ARE COORDINATING TO LAUNCH AN EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN, UH, IN A MONTH THAT'S GEARED TOWARD LOCAL TEENS, UM, UH, PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, UH, AND LOVED ONES AT THOSE THAT ARE AT HIGHEST RISK, UH, OF OVERDOSING. UH, THIS, UH, EDUCATION WILL PROVIDE AWARENESS OF THE DANGERS OF UNPRESCRIBED PILLS, UH, AS WELL AS THOSE WITH HOW THOSE WITHIN ADDICTION CAN GET HELP. UH, SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS BOTH THE AVAILABILITY OF THIS RESOURCE, BUT ALSO, UH, TO GAIN, TO JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION OVER THE NEXT MONTH AND THE FOCUS OVER THE NEXT MONTH TO ACTUALLY PREVENT THESE INCIDENTS FROM FROM HAPPENING. SO I THINK WE'RE TURNING IT OVER FOR, FOR QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT. QUESTION. SO HOW MANY DOSES OF NALOXONE ZONE DO YOU HAVE NOW? UM, WE'VE RECEIVED 9,900. 9,900. OKAY. SO HOW, WHEN A PERSON IS IN CRISIS, HOW WILL THEY GET IT? BECAUSE THEY NEED IT, IT NEEDS TO BE AN IMMEDIATE RIGHT. DOSING. RIGHT, RIGHT. UM, TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, UM, WORKS WITH INDIVIDUALS IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE EXPERIENCING SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, AND THEY PROVIDE THIS MEDICATION TO THEM ALONG WITH, UM, NEEDLE EXCHANGE PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE. UH, DR. WA YOU MENTIONED ADDRESSING THE, THE, THE, UH, THE CAUSE. UH, WHAT'S PROMPTING PEOPLE TO TAKE MEDICATIONS THAT CONTAIN FENTANYL? UM, IT'S, IT'S [00:10:01] VERY COMPLEX. UM, ADDICTION CAN HAPPEN AFTER, UM, USE OF MEDICATIONS THAT ARE GIVEN FOR TREATMENT OF PAIN, FOR MEDICAL REASONS. UM, ADDICTION ALSO CAN BE THE RESULT OF, UM, A RESPONSE TO A PERSON'S NEED WHEN THEY'RE, UM, TREATING, UM, MOOD DISORDERS, UM, FAMILY STRESS, LIFE STRESS. UM, WE SEEN MANY VETERANS RETURN FROM SERVICE WITH T S D AND, UM, OTHER MOOD DISORDERS WHO HAVE, UM, HAD A SITUATION WHERE THEY'VE BECOME ADDICTED TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEDICATIONS. WE'VE SEEN PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, EXECUTIVES WHO ARE WORKING, UM, IN HIGH LEVEL POSITIONS WHO'VE, UM, HAD A PROBLEM WITH ADDICTION. AND WE'VE SEEN CHILDREN WHO TAKE, UH, MEDICATIONS THAT THEY GET FROM SOMEONE WHO'S SELLING, UH, PILLS. AND THOSE PILLS HAVE BEEN ADULTERATED WITH FENTANYL. AND IN EACH OF THOSE SITUATIONS, WE HAVE A DIFFERENT SET OF FACTS AND A DIFFERENT WAY THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TREAT IT. SO IT'S NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER OF JUST SAYING NO, IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY TAKING A LOOK AT WHAT THE CAUSES ARE AND THEN TRYING TO MITIGATE THOSE, THOSE ISSUES. THANK Y'ALL. LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. THANKS. OKAY. I THINK THAT THE, IT'S JANUARY 6TH, JUST. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.