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Laredo public-health staff report drop in overdose deaths, highlight Narcan distribution and mental-health programs
Summary
Laredo Public Health presented April Narcan distribution data and a GIS mapping tool showing decreased overdose deaths in early 2025 versus 2024, and summarized local mental-health and assisted outpatient treatment services available to residents.
Laredo Public Health officials told the Drug and Alcohol Commission that citywide overdose indicators have declined in the first months of 2025 and outlined harm-reduction and mental-health services available to the community.
Public Health reported 17 Narcan doses dispensed from the vending machine at the Laredo Public Health location in April and pointed commissioners to an online GIS map that shows local overdose hotspots and lets users filter by substance type and age. "We did update for April the vending machine for our Narcan distribution. So the 1 here at the Laredo Public Health for April, we had 17," one public-health presenter said.
The presenter summarized month-to-month comparisons between 2024 and 2025 that were shown to the commission: January 2024 had seven overdose deaths versus one in January 2025; February 2024 had one versus three in February 2025; March 2024 had four versus zero in March 2025; April 2024 had six versus zero in April 2025. The presenter said the trend appears to be decreasing and credited community-level harm-reduction strategies for contributing to that reduction.
Commission members asked for demonstrations of the GIS tool and were shown color-coded layers that distinguish overdoses by substance (for example, pill-related overdoses shown in purple and cocaine-related in mustard/yellow). The presenter noted the public can filter and view data back to 2023.
Public Health also described three mental-health programs administered locally: a community mental-health grant program offering classes such as therapeutic art and meditation; an STD/STI counseling, testing and follow-up program; and an assisted outpatient treatment program that provides court-ordered outpatient treatment, psychiatric care, medication monitoring, counseling and home visits for people with serious mental illness.
Commissioners asked how the public can access the services and materials; staff pointed to the Laredo Public Health website and suggested bringing printed brochures to the next meeting so stakeholders can distribute information at outreach tables.
The report included an operational note that the public-health division recently absorbed animal-care services and said organizers are adding pet-focused mental-health activities and monthly outreach events that partner with Webb County programs.
Commission staff recorded the presentation and asked commissioners to direct constituents to the public-health website for service details and to use the GIS map to locate local overdose trends and resources.
