Fentanyl poisoning deaths have plummeted by nearly 20 percent, according to new data published by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
DSHS data shows that 1,925 Texans died from fentanyl-related poisoning died in 2022/23, marking a decrease of 438 deaths compared to the previous year.
The 18 percent drop in deaths spans from July 31, 2022, to August 1, 2023.
The declines follow five consecutive years of increases, during which fentanyl-related poisoning deaths in Texas surged by over 600 percent from 2019 to 2023, resulting in the loss of more than 7,000 lives in just four years, according to the Office of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.
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“More than five Texans die every day from deadly fentanyl, and Texas continues to ramp up our efforts to combat the growing fentanyl crisis plaguing our state and the nation,” Abbott said in a statement.
“Texans must come together to raise awareness of this deadly opioid to our family, friends, and communities, and the data published on this website will help Texans lead the fight against this deadly drug. I thank the Texas Department of State Health Services for their hard work to make this data more accessible to those who are working hard every day to keep fentanyl off our streets and educate Texans about the strategic manufacturing and distribution of this horrific drug.”
“Measuring a problem is an important step in understanding and improving it,” said DSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford. “DSHS is in a unique position to analyze and share information about fentanyl-related deaths as part of Governor Abbott’s One Pill Kills campaign. I hope making this data easily accessible will allow Texas experts and leaders to continue to craft solutions to this deadly crisis.”
The One Pill Kills campaign is a statewide initiative launched by Abbott aimed at combating the fentanyl crisis in Texas.
Launched in 2022, the campaign focuses on educating the public about the dangers of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has become increasingly prevalent and deadly, often mixed with other drugs.
The campaign emphasizes that even a single pill laced with fentanyl can be fatal.
Abbott issued a proclamation declaring October as Fentanyl Awareness Month.
Fentanyl, a highly potent synthetic opioid, has recently emerged as the leading cause of overdose deaths among Americans aged 18 to 45. It is far more powerful than other opioids like heroin and morphine, with just two milligrams being potentially lethal.
According to data gathered by the CDC, 107,941 people died from a drug overdose in 2022.
Stemming the flow of fentanyl is a key issue in the upcoming presidential election between Vice President Kamala Harris and her Republican opponent, former President Donald Trump.
