Gov. Abbott once again providing Narcan to Texas law enforcement

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Last week, Governor Greg Abbott announced continued efforts to battle the fentanyl crisis by supplying Narcan to all Texas law enforcement agencies for the second time.

Governor Abbott launched a statewide campaign called One Pill Kills to combat the growing fentanyl crisis in 2022. That campaign was followed by many efforts to lower fentanyl overdose deaths and expand access to the lifesaving drug Narcan.

“You can’t go wrong giving it to someone, it’s only going to help,” Lubbock Police Department Lieutenant Brady Cross said.

In a press release announcing the launch of the One Pill Kills campaign, Gov. Abbott said, “Fentanyl remains the single deadliest drug threat our state and nation has ever encountered.” In the same year fentanyl deaths were 76.14% of all opioid deaths.

“We’re weary ourselves, looking out for it and trying to educate the public just how dangerous it is,” Lt. Brady Cross said.

Cross said when fentanyl was first on the rise, law enforcement saw increasing amounts in powder form, but in more recent years, officers have seen it in deceptive pill forms.

“Unfortunately, the folks are looking to make a profit, so they disguise it as candy or prescription medication and so it can come in a lot of different ways,” Cross said.

One major part of the governor’s One Pill Kills campaign was providing Narcan, the drug used to reverse an overdose of fentanyl poisoning, to all Texas law enforcement agencies, including school district police departments, university police departments, and others.

The Lubbock Police Department has been carrying Narcan for years and Lt. Cross says he can attest to the benefit of keeping the lifesaving drug on hand.

“It’s absolutely lifesaving. There is no other way to put it, i can think of a few cases where officers have administered it on the street, and it has made an impact.”

Governor Abbott announced last week the state will be allotting 60,000 units to the agencies for a second time to continue the efforts of decreasing fentanyl related deaths. Just this month Narcan hit store shelves for the first time after being approved for over-the-counter purchase in March.

“Our friends and family can be introduced to fentanyl and not know it. If you’re a family who thinks you may have a reason to encounter and that it could be advantageous to have on hand, of course, that’s something I would want in my medicine cabinet.”

Lt. Cross wants to remind the public Narcan is not a cure all, and drug education is the best preventative. Never take a pill that you are unsure of. Even with Narcan, you can still fall victim to fentanyl.

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