[Austin Overdose Response Kits News Conference]
[00:00:04]
MORE WALKS THE HEALTH AUTHORITY FOR AUSTIN.
TRAVIS COUNTY A PH CONTINUALLY MONITORS THE TRENDS SURROUNDING COMMUNICABLE DISEASE AND INJURIES, WHICH INCLUDES OPIOID OVERDOSES.
OVER THE YEARS, WE'VE SEEN AN ALARMING INCREASE IN OVERDOSES AND POISONING DEATHS.
THIS TREND IS A REPRESENTATION OF THE STATE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THE FAMILIES MOURNING THE LOSS OF LOVED ONES.
LAST WEEK WAS A STARK REMINDER OF BOTH THE DANGER OF OPIOIDS AND NEED FOR COMMUNITY-WIDE INTERVENTION.
TODAY I'M JOINED BY FELLOW SPEAKERS AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, CHIEF ROBERT LUCAS, MAYOR PRO TEM LESLIE POOLE, COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY, TRAVIS COUNTY JUDGE ANDY BROWN, AND CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT.
I ALSO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PARTNERS HERE THAT MAKE INTERVENTION EFFORTS POSSIBLE, THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY, CENTRAL HEALTH, INTEGRAL CARE, AND UT'S COLLEGE OF PHARMACY AND CENTER FOR HEALTH COMMUNICATIONS.
TO TALK MORE ABOUT THESE KITS AND TRAINING THAT WE'VE DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, I'LL HAND IT OVER TO AUSTIN.
TRAVIS COUNTY EMS POLICE CHIEF ROBERT CHARS.
I'M THE EMS CHIEF FOR AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS. I JUST WANNA SPEAK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT OUR DEPARTMENT HAS DONE, UM, NOT JUST OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, BUT OVER THE PAST, UH, UH, SEVERAL YEARS IN TRYING TO ADDRESS THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC.
SAFETY OF OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR TOP PRIORITY.
UH, ADDRESSING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IS CRITICAL FOR US, IS IT REALLY IS THE FIRST STEP IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
WHILE WE MAY RESPOND EACH AND EVERY DAY TO EMERGENCIES ACROSS THE CITY AND ACROSS THIS COUNTY, IF WE CAN ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN, WE ARE ONE STEP AHEAD OF BEING ABLE TO, UH, PROVIDE A SAFER AND HEALTHIER COMMUNITY.
OUR JOB OVERALL IS NOT JUST TO SAVE LIVES, BUT TO IMPROVE LIVES, AND TO BE ABLE TO INTERVENE, UH, AT A POINT TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT HAVING SOMEONE HAVING A LIFE-THREATENING EMERGENCY.
OUR TEAM THAT ADDRESSED THESE CONCERNS STARTED OVER 15 YEARS AGO AS A ONE MAN TEAM, AND THROUGH THE INVESTMENT OF OUR COMMUNITY, OF OUR CITY, OF OUR COUNTY, AND OUR PARTNERS, WE NOW HAVE A TEAM OF OVER 50 INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE ADDRESSING SOCIAL DETERMINANTS OF HEALTH, PARTICULARLY THE OPIATE CRISIS.
WE WORK AROUND THE CLOCK AND WE HAVE A DEDICATED TEAM OF COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS THAT ARE FOCUSED SOLELY ON OPIATES AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE LOCATED WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDIC TEAM.
KUDOS TO CAPTAIN MIKE SASSER HERE WHO JOINS US.
UM, AND YOU'LL BE HEARING FROM HIM A LITTLE BIT LATER.
WELL, THIS WAS REALLY HIS BRAINCHILD TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY AND TO BE ABLE TO GET AHEAD OF THESE EMERGENCIES.
THE TEAM HAS A WEALTH OF KNOWLEDGE AND USE A MULTIFACETED APPROACH TO OPIATE USE DISORDERS EVERY TIME THERE IS AN OPIATE EMERGENCY IN AUSTIN OR TRAVIS COUNTY.
OUR CASEWORKERS, OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS NOT ONLY RESPOND TO THE CALLS, BUT THEY FOLLOW UP THE NEXT DAY AND IN THE FOLLOWING DAYS, TO OFFER HARM REDUCTION EDUCATION AND RESOURCES IN AN EFFORT TO GET THESE INDIVIDUALS INTO TREATMENT.
WE HAVE A 93% SUCCESS RATE WITH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS.
WITH THE FOCUS ON OPIATES, THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WANT TO GET HELP, WE ARE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY BRIDGE THEM AND GET THEM INTO TREATMENT AND WORK HARD TO BE ABLE TO NOT JUST BRIDGE THOSE INDIVIDUALS, BUT TO PROVIDE O UH, NARCAN KITS TO INDIVIDUALS THAT MIGHT NOT BE AT A POINT WHERE THEY'RE READY TO GET INTO TREATMENT.
WE'VE HEARD, AND IT'S BEEN THROUGHOUT THE MEDIA, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT SURGE IN OPIATES, UH, RELATED INCIDENTS LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, MORE THAN A 1000% INCREASE IN OVERDOSES.
WHAT I THINK IS KEY FOR FOLKS TO KNOW, THOUGH, IS THAT THROUGH THE EFFORTS OF OUR PARTNERS HERE, THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS AND EVERYONE THAT JOINS US TODAY, 80% OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS RECEIVED NARCAN PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL FROM EMS. THAT IS A TESTAMENT TO THE ABILITY TO DISTRIBUTE, DISTRIBUTE NARCAN KITS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY IN AN EFFORT TO SAVE LIVES.
AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THOSE EFFORTS.
OUR COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS WERE OUT IN THE COMMUNITY IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYING ADDITIONAL NARCAN, DISTRIBUTING OVER 400 KITS WITHIN 48 HOURS, PREVENTING THE SURGE FROM CONTINUING TO INCREASE AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, REDUCE THE IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
BUT WHY ARE WE HERE TODAY? WE'RE HERE TODAY TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO GROW THAT PROGRAM.
I WANT TO ASSURE YOU THAT NARCAN IS SAFE.
IT'S SOMETHING ADMINISTERED EACH AND EVERY DAY.
AND THE MORE NARCAN WE'RE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE INTO THE COMMUNITY IS MORE PREVENTION THAT WE HAVE IN REDUCING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC AND BEING ABLE TO PREVENT THESE TYPES OF EMERGENCIES.
IN JUST A FEW MINUTES, WE'RE GONNA BE PARTICIPATING IN A BREATHE NOW PROGRAM
[00:05:01]
WHERE WE'RE GONNA LEARN MORE ABOUT NARCAN AND HOW WE CAN ADMINISTER IT, AND HOW WE CAN ADDRESS THE ACUTE EMERGENCIES THAT HAPPEN.IT TEACHES RECOGNITION, ADMINISTRATION, AND PRE IV CARE.
WE ARE ON THE FRONT LINE OF THIS EPIDEMIC, THIS COMMUNITY, OUR EMS AND OUR PARTNERS HERE, AND EVERYONE THAT SUPPORTS THE OPIOID CRISIS HERE IN AUSTIN IS ON THE FOREFRONT OF THIS COUNTRY.
ORGANIZATIONS AND CITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES ARE LOOKING TO AUSTIN TO SEE THE INNOVATIVE IDEAS THAT WE HAVE HERE, BOTH IN AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY.
MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN SAVED, AND EACH AND EVERY ONE IS WORTH IT.
WE'RE VERY EXCITED NOW TO RECOGNIZE THE FUNDING THAT WE'VE RECEIVED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS THAT HAVE ALLOWED US TO PURCHASE MORE THAN 7,500 NARCAN KITS THAT WE WILL BE DISTRIBUTING ACROSS THE COMMUNITY THAT'S 15,000 INDIVIDUAL DOSES OF NARCAN, AND BE ABLE TO TRAIN INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THIS BREED NOW CAMPAIGN TO BE ABLE TO ADMINISTER THESE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE.
I WANNA THANK CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT FOR ALL OF HIS EFFORTS AND BEING ABLE TO HELP US ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.
I WANNA THANK OUR, OUR COUNTY JUDGE AND OUR COUNTY FOR THE INVESTMENTS THAT THEY MAKE INTO AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS AND THE OPIATE CRISIS AS A WHOLE.
AND OF COURSE, OUR PARTNERS AND OUR, OUR LEADERSHIP HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND I'D BE REMISS FOR NOT RECOGNIZING ALL OF THE COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE COMMUNITY HEALTH PARAMEDICS, AND EVERYONE THAT PUTS EFFORT INTO ADDRESSING THIS EPIDEMIC.
WITHOUT THEM, THERE WOULD BE CERTAINLY BE MORE LIVES LOST.
I WANT TO, AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING HERE, AND I'M GONNA PASS THE MICROPHONE TO MAYOR PRO TEM LESLIE POOLE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THESE MICS ARE PICKING ME UP.
I'M THE MAYOR PRO TEM OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I'M HERE TODAY REPRESENTING MAYOR WATSON.
MAYOR'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT HE ECHOES HIS SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORTS WE ARE ADDRESSING.
ON THAT NOTE, I WANNA DISCUSS JUST HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE EQUIP AND TRAIN PUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC FACING STAFF WHO ARE ENGAGING WITH OUR COMMUNITY ON A DAILY BASIS.
THIS WORK CAN AND WILL BE A LIFESAVER SIMILAR TO DEFIBRILLATORS IN PUBLIC PLACES.
STAFF AT ONE OF OUR LIBRARIES OR PARK BUILDINGS MAY RECOGNIZE A POSSIBLE OVERDOSE AND KNOW HOW TO ADMINISTER NALOXONE BEFORE FIRST RESPONDERS ARRIVE AT THE SCENE.
WE'VE ALL HEARD STORIES FROM LAST WEEK, THE LAST TWO WEEKS OF BYSTANDERS STEPPING IN AND GIVING DOSES OF NALOXONE TO THOSE WHO WERE OVERDOSING.
THE MORE PEOPLE WE TRAIN AND EQUIP IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE GREATER THE CHANCE WE HAVE OF SAVING LIVES AND PREVENTING TRAGEDY.
I ENCOURAGING, I ENCOURAGE ANYONE WATCHING TO LEARN THE SIGNS OF AN OVERDOSE TO CARRY AND LEARN HOW TO ADMINISTER NALOXONE.
ANYONE CAN BE THE VICTIM OF AN OVERDOSE.
AND NOW I'LL HAND THE MIC OVER TO THE VICE CHAIR OF THE COUNCIL PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY.
MY NAME IS MACKENZIE KELLY, AND AS THE MAYOR PRO TEM MENTIONED, I SERVE AS A VICE CHAIR OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTING THE WONDERFUL CONSTITUENTS OF DISTRICT SIX, THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN OUR COUNTRY REMAINS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
AND WHAT WE EXPERIENCED IN AUSTIN TWO WEEKS AGO IS UNDENIABLE PROOF THAT THINGS ARE NOT GOING TO GET BETTER ON THEIR OWN.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE BEEN STEADFAST IN MY SUPPORT FOR THE EFFORTS OF OUR DEDICATED FIRST RESPONDERS AND ENSURING THEY HAVE ALL THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED TO SAVE LIVES.
DURING MY TENURE ON THE CITY COUNCIL, I HAVE SPONSORED MULTIPLE RESOLUTIONS FOCUSED ON OVERDOSE PREVENTION, HARM REDUCTION, AND PUBLIC EDUCATION TO PROVIDE CONTINUED FUNDING FOR THESE CRITICAL INITIATIVES.
JUST MONTHS AGO, I WAS PROUD TO HELP AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS LAUNCH THEIR BREATHE NOW TRAINING PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE SAME CLASS YOU ALL WILL BE TAKING IN JUST A FEW MOMENTS.
IN LESS THAN A WEEK, WE LOST NINE AUSTINITES TO UNINTENTIONAL OPIOID OVERDOSE.
THEY WERE OUR NEIGHBORS, OUR FRIENDS, OUR SISTERS, AND OUR BROTHERS, REAL HUMAN LIVES THAT LEAVE BEHIND REAL HUMAN PAIN.
THIS JANUARY, THE HARSH REALITY OF THIS CRISIS TOUCHED MY OWN LIFE.
WE LOST TWO FAMILY FRIENDS, A HUSBAND AND A WIFE, TO AN UNEXPECTED FENTANYL OVERDOSE.
THEY WERE NOT KNOWN DRUG USERS.
AND THEIR TRAGIC PASSING IS A SOMBER REMINDER THAT THIS CRISIS CAN TOUCH ANYONE.
NO ONE IS IMMUNE, NOT EVEN IN MY OWN CIRCLE.
DESPITE MY ROLE AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, THEY LEAVE BEHIND
[00:10:01]
TWO YOUNG CHILDREN, AND THEIR ENTIRE FAMILY CONTINUES TO SUFFER FROM THIS IMMENSE LOSS.HARM REDUCTION WORKS, NARCAN SAVES LIVES.
I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT WITHOUT THE HARD WORK OF OUR FIRST RESPONDERS AND HARM REDUCTION PARTNERS, THE DEATH TOLL FROM THE OVERDOSE SURGE MUST WOULD HAVE BEEN EXPONENTIALLY HIGHER.
SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER DOES NOT DISCRIMINATE.
IT CAN BE FOUND IN EVERY CORNER OF THIS COUNTRY, AND YOU WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO FIND SOMEONE WHOSE LIFE HAS NOT BEEN AFFECTED IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER BY THIS EPIDEMIC.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL FOR THEIR SUPPORTIVE HARM REDUCTION, AS WELL AS CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT FOR HIS HARD WORK, ENSURING THAT PROGRAMS LIKE THESE HAVE THE RESOURCES THEY NEED TO CONTINUE TO SAVE LIVES.
AND WITH THAT, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO PASS THE PODIUM OFF TO TRAVIS COUNTY, JUDGE ANDY BROWN.
UM, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR JOINING US TODAY.
THE OVERDOSE EPIDEMIC IS A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS THAT WE SEE HERE IN AUSTIN, HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS CONTINUE TO BE THE NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF NON-ACCIDENTAL DEATH DEATH.
TWO WEEKS AGO, WE SAW THE LARGEST OPIOID OVERDOSE OUTBREAKS THAT WE'VE SEEN IN YEARS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND THANKS TO THE SWIFT RESPONSE OF AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY EMS, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND JUST COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEY SAVED DOZENS OF LIVES.
ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, UH, REPRESENTED BY MAGGIE HERE TODAY, UM, LET'S DO IT, UH, HAD A TOWN HALL WHERE THEY BROUGHT ME AND OTHER COMMUNITY LEADERS TOGETHER TO TALK ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT OPIOID OVERDOSES ARE HAVING ON OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT WE NEEDED TO DO MORE.
SO TWO YEARS AGO, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT DECLARED A PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS AND MADE SIGNIFICANT POLICY AND FINANCIAL INVESTMENTS INTO GETTING MORE NARCAN, MORE TRAINING, MORE PEER RECOVERY, WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COMMUNITIES IN RECOVERY.
UM, AND SINCE OUR DECLARATION, WE'VE DISTRIBUTED SOMETHING LIKE 14,000 DOSES OF NARCAN.
AND I KNOW THE CITY HAS DONE A LOT MORE AND OTHER PARTNERS HAVE DONE MORE TOO.
AND IT REALLY, WHAT I'M TRYING TO EMPHASIZE IS IT TAKES ALL OF US COMING TOGETHER TO CONFRONT THIS CRISIS.
NOBODY, NO ONE ENTITY, NO ONE GROUP CAN DO IT ALONE.
UM, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE CITY, THE COUNTY, THE STATE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO COORDINATE AND IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE STRATEGIES TO TACKLE THIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
AND THAT'S WHERE CONGRESSMAN DOGGETT COMES IN.
IT TOOK HIM FIGHTING FOR FEDERAL FUNDING TO INCREASE ACCESS TO OVERDOSE RESPONSE KITS HERE IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
IT TOOK THE COLLABORATIVE EFFORTS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND AUSTIN TRAVIS COUNTY EMS TO RESPOND BY FUNDING PROVEN PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION INITIATIVES THAT WILL SAVE LIVES.
AND IT'S GONNA TAKE ALL OF US TO GET THROUGH THIS CRISIS.
DURING THE OUTBREAK TWO WEEKS AGO, UH, TEX COPE, KIND OF A, A NEWER GROUP TO THIS, UM, HAS A DATABASE THAT THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY ABLE TO ALERT POTENTIAL, I GUESS, DRUG USERS UP AND DOWN THE I 35 CORRIDOR THAT THERE WAS A BAD BATCH.
AND TO GIVE THEM THAT RESOURCE WE SIGNED ON TO BE PART OF TEXAS COPE A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR DATA IS GOING INTO THAT TO TRY TO HELP SAVE LIVES AS WELL.
UM, SO THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY, AND PLEASE LET JOIN ME IN WELCOMING CONGRESSMAN LLOYD DOGGETT.
IT'S, I BELIEVE, UH, IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN TWO YEARS THAT HAVE PASSED SINCE JUDGE BROWN, UH, TOOK THE LEADERSHIP WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS IN DECLARING A PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY HERE.
AND DESPITE, UH, THE GREAT WORK DONE BY ALL OF THOSE WHO ARE HERE TODAY, UH, WE STILL HAVE THE KIND OF CHALLENGE THAT WE SAW OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS.
NUMBER ONE CAUSE OF ACCIDENTAL DEATH.
79 OVERDOSE CALLS IN FIVE DAYS, NINE OF OUR NEIGHBORS WHO ARE DEAD.
CLEARLY, WE DON'T HAVE A PANACEA.
WE NEED AS MUCH PREVENTION AS POSSIBLE AND WHERE IT IS NOT, WE NEED TO SAVE AS MANY LIVES AS POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'S WHAT THIS EFFORT HAS BEEN ALL ABOUT.
THIS IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM THAT IMPACTS THE VULNERABLE HOMELESS, THOUGH THAT WOULD BE REASONABLE ENOUGH TO ACT.
UH, BUT IT MIGHT BE A, A GRANDMOTHER WHO GOT, UH, HOOKED ON THIS STUFF AFTER HAVING, UH, UH, A PAIN PROBLEM WITH, UH, UH, SURGERY.
IT COULD BE A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT UNAWARE THAT THE DRUGS THAT HE OR SHE ARE USING, UH, IS, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT'S LACED WITH FENTANYL.
UH, WE KNOW FROM WHAT HAPPENED HERE, UH, A FEW, COUPLE WEEKS AGO THAT, UH, THIS AFFECTED NOT JUST ONE PART OF TOWN, BUT DOWNTOWN NORTH, SOUTH AND EAST.
BECAUSE OF THE ENORMITY OF THIS PROBLEM, UH, I, UH, SECURED, UH, $2 MILLION DIRECTLY IN A FEDERAL APPROPRIATION, NOT A GRANT.
[00:15:01]
IS AN INITIATIVE TO BACK UP WHAT OUR CITY LEADERSHIP, THE HARM RELIANCE, UH, REDUCTION EFFORT AND THE COUNTY WE'RE DOING.UH, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT, UH, LOOKING FOR AS MANY WAYS AS POSSIBLE TO BE HELPFUL.
UH, I WILL CERTAINLY CONTINUE EFFORTS TO TRY TO SECURE MORE IN THE WAY OF SUPPORT AND BACKUP.
UH, WE'VE BEEN URGING THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION TO LEVERAGE EVERY POSSIBLE DOLLAR AVAILABLE FROM THE NATIONAL OPIOID SETTLEMENTS IS ONE SOURCE OF FUNDING.
AND WE'VE ALSO PASSED, WHICH IS SURPRISING IN THIS CHAOTIC, UH, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, THE, UH, SUPPORT FOR PATIENTS AND COMMUNITIES REAUTHORIZATION ACT, WHICH IS ABOUT DATA COLLECTION, MORE FEDERAL GRANTS, STUDENT LOAN REPAYMENT FOR SOME OF THOSE WHO WORK IN THIS AREA.
AND PROGRAMS FOR ADDRESSING, UH, TRAUMA, PARTICULARLY FOR CHILDREN AND YOUTH, UH, THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS.
LIKE THESE NARCAN, UH, KITS THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING THIS MORNING.
UH, WE VERY MUCH NEED TO MAKE FENTANYL TEST STRIPS JUST AS READILY AVAILABLE AS THE NARCAN KITS SO THAT, SO THIS PROBLEM CAN BE DETECTED EVEN BEFORE IT'S NECESSARY TO TURN TO NARCAN.
UH, I'M PLEASED THAT THERE'S BEEN BIPARTISAN SUPPORT IN WASHINGTON FOR DOING THIS.
SENATOR CORNIN, UH, IS LEADING OVER IN THE SENATE, BUT STATE LAW ALSO HAS TO BE CHANGED.
UH, WE NEED BOTH STATE AND FEDERAL ACTION.
AND IT WAS VERY DISAPPOINTING THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO OVERCOME THE OBJECTION OF SOME TEXAS REPUBLICAN SENATORS WHO BLOCKED THIS IMPORTANT SAFETY MEASURE.
SO THE NEXT LEGISLATURE, WHICH CONVENES IN JANUARY, HAS BIPARTISAN SUPPORT FOR CHANGING THAT.
WE NEED AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH TO THIS.
UH, IT IS LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL BECAUSE TOO MANY LIVES ARE BEING LOST.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE MONEY THAT WE SECURED COMBINED WITH WHAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY ARE DOING, UH, WILL EXPAND ACCESS TO THE BREATHE NOW TRAINING, UH, WHICH HAS GONE INTO THE WORK TODAY.
THE, UH, COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY AND TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE HAVE EXPANDED THEIR TEAMS. UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH IS ALSO BUILDING AN INCREASED CAPACITY IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH HAS IMPROVED ITS PUBLIC HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE BY HIRING AN OVERDOSE PREVENTION COORDINATOR.
ALL THIS ABOUT TRYING TO PROVIDE THE BEST POSSIBLE CARE THAT WE CAN AND THE BEST POSSIBLE INTERVENTION.
SO, SALUTE TO ALL OF YOU WHO MADE THIS POSSIBLE.
AND I'M VERY PLEASED TO PARTNER WITH YOU AND I THINK AT THIS POINT, UH, TO INVITE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE MEDIA AS WE BEGIN OUR TRAINING.
WALKS, ARE YOU GONNA LEAD THAT? NO, I BELIEVE WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE EMS, UH, FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE'LL TAKE A FEW QUESTIONS BEFORE WE PICK OFF.
MR. RIVERS, THE PUBLIC, UM, WHAT CAN THEY GET THIS TRAINING AND WHAT CAN THEY GET THE, UH, THE NARCAN AND HOW TO POTENTIALLY HELP IN THIS SITUATION? IS TRAININGS AVAILABLE THROUGH, UH, THE COUNTY, THROUGH HHS, WE ALSO HAVE TRAINING AVAILABLE THROUGH EMS PROVIDERS, AND THEY CAN ALSO GET THE KITS, UH, THROUGH EMS AND, UH, THROUGH, UH, NARCAN VENDING MACHINES THAT ARE LOCATED ACROSS OUR COUNTY AND FROM OUR HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE, UH, PARTNERS TEXAS HARM REDUCTION IN COMMUNITIES FOR RECOVERY.
AND FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE THE MAP CARD, UM, THEY CAN GET FREE NARCAN FROM THE COMMUNITY CARE PHARMACIES AND ALSO FROM HEB PHARMACIES.
THE SITUATION NOW AFTER, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SAW A COUPLE WEEKS AGO IS ARE THINGS KIND OF POLITICAL BACK TO NORMAL? AND WHERE DO YOU SEEING THE OPIOID CON SPOTS RIGHT NOW ACROSS? YES.
UH, THINGS HAVE SEEMED TO STABILIZE FOR US HERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE VERY FLUID.
UM, YOU KNOW, NEW, NEW THINGS LIKE THAT COULD EMERGE AT ANY GIVEN TIME, BUT AT THIS POINT, WE ARE BACK TO A NORMAL STABLE POINT FROM WHERE WE WERE PRIOR TO THE SURGE THAT WE SAW A FEW WEEKS AGO.
DOES NARCAN EXPIRE? IT DOES, YES.
SO, UM, YOU, YOU CAN LOOK ON THE BOX, UH, THAT YOU'VE ACQUIRED FROM EITHER THE PHARMACY OR ONE OF THESE, UM, LOCATIONS THAT WE'VE SET SENT YOU TO, AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON THE BOX AND THEN FOLLOW THAT.
CAN YOU GO OVER THE SYSTEM OF AN OVERDOSE? DO YOU WANT, AGAIN, LY UM, YOU MAY COME UPON SOMEONE WHO'S NOT RESPONSIVE OR, OR, UM, LESS RESPONSIVE, DROWSY, UM, SLURRED SPEECH, PINPOINT PUPILS, UM, DIFFICULTY WITH BREATHING, OR
[00:20:01]
THEY MAY, UM, HAVE SLOW OR NO BREATHING AT THE TIME WHEN YOU CUT COME UPON THEM, THEY MAY HAVE BLUE DISCOLORATION OF THEIR FINGERTIPS.UM, AND IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF YOU SUSPECT AN OVERDOSE, UH, GO AHEAD AND USE THE NALOXONE BECAUSE IT WILL RESUSCITATE THEM.
IF THEY HAVE, UH, USED A DRUG THAT HA IS ADULTERATED WITH FENTANYL, UM, IT WILL NOT HARM THEM IF THEY HAVEN'T HAD FENTANYL, BUT IT WILL SAVE THEIR LIFE IF THEY HAVE HAD A DRUG THAT IS MIXED OR ADULTERATED WITH FENTANYL.
AND THE $2 MILLION IS NEW FUNDING TODAY.
GOT SOME FUNDING LAST TWO YEARS AGO.
THIS IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT FUNDING THAT I GOT PREVIOUSLY.
AND WE'RE AFTER GETTING SOME MORE PICTURE, THE TESTING STRIPS.
ANY OTHER CHALLENGES GOING FORWARD THAT YOU SEE IN TERMS OF THIS ATTACK OF THIS PROBLEM? FUNDING PROBABLY IS ONE, BUT JUST ANY OTHERS? WELL, I THINK IT REMAINS SUCH AN IMMENSE PROBLEM ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
IT'S ABOUT GETTING THE RESOURCES TO DO MORE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY AND THEN GETTING THE NARCAN STRIPS, UH, SO THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER CONSIDERED FEDERAL DRUG PARAPHERNALIA OR STATE DRUG PARAPHERNALIA.
UH, THAT WOULD REALLY, UH, ASSIST SAVE SAVING LIVES SO THAT THOSE WHO ARE ADDICTED CAN FIND OUT IF THEY'RE, UH, WHAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO CONSUME IS, UH, AS LACED WITH FENTANYL OR NOT.
UM, THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF DISTRIBUTING THEM IN VARIOUS LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND ONE OF THOSE, UH, LOCATIONS.
SOME OF THOSE LOCATIONS WILL BE LIBRARIES.
UM, YOU'LL SEE THEM IN, UM, DIFFERENT SPOTS IN THE COUNTY.
THEY'LL ALSO BE, UM, AT PLACES WHERE WE'VE HAD, UH, REPORTS OF PREVIOUS, UH, OVERDOSE POISONINGS.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A TARGETED APPROACH TO GET TO THE HIGH RISK AREAS FIRST AND THEN WE'LL, UM, EXPAND THAT CAPACITY ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
DR. CASEY CLAYBORNE WORKS FOR UC.
SHE'S THE DOCTOR THAT OVERSEES TEXACO.
IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, UM, ONLY HAVE SEEN, WE HAVE SOME, UH, TABLE SET UP HERE TO SET UP SOME, SO EVERYBODY, IF THEY NEED TO, UM, FOR THOSE WE'RE ASKING ABOUT THE SIGNS, SYMPTOMS AND SOME OF THE SPECIFICS, THIS IS GONNA BE AN IMPORTANT PART.