How Not to Ingest Fentanyl on Campus and Beyond

The Austin Chronicle is the least likely paper to tell you to say no to drugs – but in the case of fentanyl, you may not even get to make a choice. It could be hidden in oxys or non-opiates, like benzos or Xanax. The synthetic opioid, 50 times stronger than heroin, is sweeping the nation's drug supply, and Austin is no exception. The 2022 Travis County medical examiner's report found that overdose deaths – already the leading cause of accidental death in the county – increased 35% last year. More than half of those deaths were fentanyl-­related, and those overdoses increased 108% over the same period. And fentanyl is being found in Adderall, Xanax, molly, etc. – drugs that people who have no relationship to opioids take regularly.

Still, the Texas Legislature decided to meet this crisis with punitive measures instead of commonsense ones that local advocates like the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, and even Greg Abbott himself, have signed off on. Despite bipartisan support, a bill that would legalize fentanyl test strips, so you can test your drugs before using, ultimately failed in the recent legislative session, while a war-on-drugs-style drug-induced homicide bill became law. That means that when someone dies from an overdose, prosecutors can charge whoever provided the drugs with murder.

So for now, your best option to protect yourself and your friends against accidental overdose is Narcan. The brand name of naloxone, it's a lifesaving overdose reversal drug, which comes in either a nasal spray or a syringe and is available for free at several locations around town. UT students can access Narcan at any residence hall front desk and at the security desk in the Perry-Castañeda Library. Three vending machines courtesy of the N.I.C.E. Project (Narcan in Case of Emergency) dispense the medication in front of Cenote, Sahara Lounge, and Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center. And over the counter at CVS or Wal­greens, it'll likely cost you between $30 and $150 (depending on health insurance, brand, and other factors). To learn how to administer the nasal spray, check out the county's helpful infographic. It's important to remember that Narcan can restore normal breathing within 2-3 minutes, but only temporarily – be sure to monitor a person long after they wake up. And don't be scared to call 911 – Texas has a Good Samaritan law that protects callers from liability.

If you're concerned about fentanyl and want to get involved in local politics around the drug, here's the basics you should know: Travis County officials declared the overdose epidemic a public health crisis last year, putting $350,000 toward Narcan and other harm reduction initiatives, but fentanyl-related deaths still more than doubled in 2022. Judge Andy Brown promised $750,000 in this year's county budget for harm reduction. Earlier this year, U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett brought home $2 million in federal funding for the next two years of local opioid overdose prevention efforts. All this money flows to existing partnerships between the city and county and on-the-ground groups like THRA and Communities for Recovery. If you want to affect the future of city policy around harm reduction, don't be afraid to speak up during the public comment portion of Council meetings.

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Contact Texas Harm Reduction Alliance for further harm reduction supplies and services at 512/585-7145 or [email protected].