As fentanyl continues to cause the deaths of people in Texas at very worrying rates, Attorney General Ken Paxton has put out a public message alerting people about this ongoing epidemic.
As AG Paxton stated, “In the last five years alone, the number of drug overdose deaths in Texas has gone up by over 75%.” He highlighted the significance of understanding fentanyl, saying that the “first step to stopping the devastation begins with knowing what we’re up against.”
The drug The cause of this crisis is a synthetic opioid with a strong potency, making it more addictive and deadly than other drugs in the same category. It is also relatively simple and inexpensive to produce, leading to it being frequently added to fake pills.
Fake pills laced with fentanyl, falsely sold by dealers as common prescription medications like Percocet or Xanax, at prices as low as $3 per pill have resulted in tragic consequences on both the state and national levels. Those who use the pills — about 42% of which contain a potentially deadly dose of 2 milligrams — often do not realize they contain fentanyl and unintentionally overdose within just a few minutes of consuming them, as previously covered in The Dallas Express.
In the video, family members of individuals who died from fentanyl also appeared alongside the attorney general.
“You do not get a second chance. Don’t stand on the sidelines; get in the game; get involved. Don’t put yourself in a box where you think, ‘That won’t happen to me, not my kid.’ You just never know,” a montage of speakers urged.
Stefanie Turner was one of those featured in the PSA. She remembered the overdose death of her 19-year-old son, Tucker Charles Roe, caused by fentanyl, which led to her establishing the nonprofit Texas Against Fentanyl and advocating for state action.
Her efforts contributed to the passing of House Bill 3908, also named Tucker’s Law, last year, as covered by The Dallas Express. The bill mandates public schools to teach an anti-drug curriculum to raise awareness about the dangers of fentanyl.
In addition to Tucker’s Law, Gov. Greg Abbott endorsed other fentanyl-related laws on the same June day. Among other things, these laws designated October as “Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month,” ensured that Narcan — a nasal spray that reverses opioid overdose symptoms — is distributed to colleges and universities in Texas, categorized fentanyl overdoses as poisonings, and raised the criminal penalties for fentanyl-related offenses by making them felonies. For example, in Texas, supplying a deadly dose of fentanyl to someone can lead to a charge of murder.
Despite the implementation of these measures, fentanyl remains a prominent issue in North Texas. Recently, a school resource officer at Allen High School — the largest in Texas — spoke to CBS News Texas about the overdose crisis due to fentanyl.
“It’s everywhere and the scary part is these kids think they’re taking a genuine prescription pill,” Matthew Johnson said, recalling having had to administer Narcan to three students already this year.
