Deadly Toll! Austin Faces Opioid ‘Outbreak’ With 9 Deaths, 75 Overdoses

AUSTIN, Texas — Following the response of emergency services to dozens of events between Monday and Wednesday, which resulted in the suspected deaths of nine people, Texas officials are looking into a possible “outbreak” of opioid overdoses in Austin.

Austin- At a press conference on Wednesday, EMS Division Chief Angela Carr stated that from Monday through Wednesday night, Travis County Emergency Medical Services responded to a total of 75 overdose instances.

As to Hector Nieto, the county spokeswoman, the Travis County medical examiner’s office has confirmed that it is looking into nine cases related to possible overdose deaths.

According to Nieto, preliminary toxicology findings revealed the presence of methamphetamine in three cases, cocaine in eight, and fentanyl in nine, as reported by the American-Statesman, a part of the USA TODAY Network. At first, city authorities got together on Tuesday to share updates regarding the investigation into the alleged overdoses.

Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services Assistant Chief Steve White said that by Tuesday morning, emergency responders had received over 50 calls related to overdoses, which represents a 1,000% increase in overdose emergency calls in a single day. Officials referred to this as the city’s deadliest overdose outbreak in almost a decade.

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According to White, during a press conference on Tuesday, Austin has not seen as many overdoses since the city was ravaged by the synthetic cannabinoid K2 in 2015. One or two overdose calls are usually received by Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services each day, according to White.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s most recent statistics indicate that over 106,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in 2021. Furthermore, there were 70,601 overdose deaths in 2021 related to synthetic opioids, not methadone.

According to the State Health Access Data Assistance Center, “the United States has experienced a growing crisis of substance abuse and addiction over the past two decades, which is illustrated most starkly by the rise in deaths from drug overdoses.” “Since 2000, the annual number of overdose deaths from any kind of drug in the U.S. has multiplied nearly six times over, rising from 17,500 to over 106,000 people in 2021.”

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Over the week, Austin’s overdose cases decreased. The rate of overdoses has decreased since the week started. At the press conference on Wednesday, Carr stated that there had been seven overdoses on which emergency services had reacted on Wednesday, as opposed to 37 on Monday and 27 on Tuesday, indicating a daily decline in overdoses.

Overdose “numbers trend at least a little bit downwards,” according to EMS Capt. Christa Stedman, prior to this week’s sharp increase in instances. Stedman stressed that opiate use disorder and overdoses impact people of all racial backgrounds, ages, and socioeconomic status.

Overdose emergency calls started in downtown Austin around one in the morning on Monday, according to authorities, and then expanded to other parts of the city until four in the morning on Tuesday. White stated on Tuesday that numerous people were discovered to be in cardiac arrest.

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According to Austin Police Assistant Chief Eric Fitzgerald, patients came from a variety of age groups and demographics, although none were younger than 18. Additionally, the majority of calls originated from households, businesses, and public spaces in downtown Austin.

“There were patients that were unhoused; there were patients that were housed,” White explained. Both patients and those who were out in public areas were present at their places of employment. It did not have a geographical restriction.”

A 9 p.m. overdose was discovered by the medical examiner during the course of the examination. Nieto claims that Sunday was missed and was not included in the group of fatalities until much later.

Stedman stated on Wednesday that many patients weren’t attempting to use opioids. The patients had taken K2, crack cocaine, Xanax, and several other drugs.

She said that this week’s efforts to “flood” the city with Narcan, an antidote for opioid overdoses, by paramedics and community partners, were crucial in saving many lives. Carr reported that by Wednesday afternoon, over 400 Narcan kits had been issued.

“We have seen a number of cases where Narcan has been administered by civilians before we get there, and either the person is awake and is recovering, or they’re well on their way to recovering,” Stedman explained. “We’ve actually seen a couple of cases where they’ve recovered fully and walked away before we got there.”

Two people are of interest, according to Austin police
The Austin Police Department stated it has identified two people of interest but declined to release any further updates, citing the need to maintain the investigation’s integrity.

Lt. Patrick Eastlick of Austin police stated on Tuesday that the agency had arrested these two people in downtown Austin on Monday and charged one of them with a felony related to the possession of a firearm. More charges were pending, he added. The Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration are supporting the police investigation.

As previously stated by Eastlick, those found guilty of fentanyl distribution may be charged with murder or with producing or delivering a restricted substance that results in death or serious bodily harm.

In an attempt to fight the epidemic, a new Texas legislation established tiers of felony charges for making, delivering, or distributing fentanyl. The maximum penalty under the law, which allows for life in jail, is the charge of murder.

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In a joint statement, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and Texas Against Fentanyl advised the locals “to remain vigilant and aware of the dangers posed by fentanyl.”

Residents were asked in the statement “to have candid and open discussions about the dangers of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs with family members, especially teenagers.” In order to stop more harm and fatalities, increased awareness and education are essential.”

Opioid Crisis in the United States

More than 40% of Americans know someone who has passed away from a drug overdose, according to a February RAND survey. According to RAND, more than 1.1 million individuals have died in the US from drug overdoses since 2000, accounting for over 109,000 deaths in 2022.

Opioids, which include heroin and prescription medications, are responsible for most drug overdose deaths, according to the State Health Access Data Assistance Center. However, the use of synthetic opioids like fentanyl in drug overdose instances has increased recently.

As per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, fentanyl has the potential to be 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine. Illegally manufactured fentanyl is usually linked to recent overdose instances involving the drug.

As per the CDC, “it plays a significant role in both lethal and nonlethal overdoses in the United States.” “Over 150 people die every day from overdoses related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl.”

More than 17.9 million fentanyl tablets have reportedly been found so far in 2024, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency. More than 78.4 million fentanyl-laced tablets and approximately 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder were seized by the DEA in 2023, totaling more than 376.7 million lethal doses of the drug.