AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced new statewide initiatives to combat the fentanyl crisis Thursday, according to his office.
During a news conference in Austin at his One Pill Kills Summit, the governor unveiled a new $10 million multimedia awareness initiative through the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to educate Texans about the drug.
The governor also announced his plan to distribute Narcan to all 254 Texas counties through the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM).
The governor’s office said TDEM will soon distribute the first 20,000 units to sheriff's offices across the state. Each of Texas’ sheriff’s offices will be eligible to receive a portion of this first allotment based on county population and size, the governor said.
Carrollton resident Debbie Petersen was at the governor’s side during the news conference.
Her son, Matt, died from fentanyl in 2022.
“I told [Governor Abbott] all about Matt,” Petersen told WFAA just after the news conference.
“That he was a 30-year-old genius, IQ, with his masters degree. That he was an avid skateboarder, musician. And that he was full of life and that Matt did not want to die. One oxy pill should not have killed him, but since it was fentanyl, it did," she said.
The governor’s announcement comes one day after WFAA learned an unconscious 13-year-old had to be revived by Narcan several times in a classroom at DeWitt Perry Middle School in Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD.
“The younger ones are dying in droves and we have to do everything we can to stop it,” Petersen said of the news.
The district said the incident is still under investigation, and added that, “if determined that the cause was an opioid overdose, CPD will continue to investigate where the drugs were procured. The national opioid crisis is affecting all cities in Texas, but the quick reaction and preparedness of the school district staff saved this student's life.”
Petersen praised Carrollton-Farmers Branch ISD for having Narcan on all its campuses and said that policy likely saved a student’s life.
Dallas ISD recently voted to allow Narcan on its campuses and train staff to administer the drug.
In addition to advocating for Narcan on all school campuses and classrooms, Petersen said she and other family members of people who died of fentanyl want to get inside schools to talk to kids directly.
They believe sharing their personal stories of loss would be an effective tool in combating the ongoing fentanyl crisis.
WFAA reached out to other large districts in the area to learn about their policies on fentanyl and Narcan. Here are their responses.
Frisco ISD
"All nurses, clinic assistants, administrative staff were trained on the use of Narcan (naloxone hydrochloride) at all campuses before the beginning of the 2022-2023 school year. Student resource officers are trained by the police dept. & have carried Narcan for the past 3 years.
We have Naloxone on all campuses.
SROs, nurses, clinic assistants, & administrative staff were trained on the administration of Narcan, signs & symptoms of Opioid use, side effects, etc."
Richardson ISD
"Currently, RISD’s school resource officers (Dallas and Richardson police officers), carry Narcan, and are trained to recognize overdose symptoms and administer Narcan if needed. All junior highs and high schools in RISD are assigned SROs, along with a number of elementary campuses. SRO’s carry Narcan and are trained to administer if needed.
RISD is in the process of making Narcan available in every school clinic (54) and with each AED pack (137). There are some moving parts, but that process may be completed before the end of this school year (next month)."
Fort Worth ISD
"The District does not stock Narcan, but we are working with Tarrant County Challenge and our partners at JPS to implement Narcan availability at all FWISD campuses for the 2023-2024 SY."
Plano ISD
"Plano ISD's Board of Trustees just approved a policy update at their meeting on Tuesday, April 4. The update to policy FFAC(Local) was recommended by the district's administrative staff to allow for the purchase, storage and administration of an opioid antagonist medication, such as naloxone, to assist a person who may be experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose. With this policy update, related administrative procedures are to be determined.
At this time, all of our Plano, Murphy and Dallas School Resource Officers have access to Narcan and are trained to use it in the event of a suspected opioid overdose.
You can view the board discussion here."