"The money that you are providing is doing good," said Phil Owens, peer recovery program manager with Communities for Recovery. Owens added that in the overdose spike in May this year, when over the span of three days, 79 people overdosed downtown, "there were only nine fatalities, which means people who are using drugs are saving lives. First responders are saving lives. Bystanders are saving lives. What you're doing is valuable."
Harm reduction advocates said putting naloxone in the hands of providers that are directly reaching out to the populations most at risk of overdose - people who are homeless - is more effective.
Travis County has the highest rate of overdose of any county in Texas - but they seem to be working. The nation has actually seen a precipitous decline in overdose deaths for the first time since 2020.
The county to make tough decisions in the coming years as opioid settlement funds that have made such investments possible are soon to run out.
Collection
[
|
...
]