Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Austin and Travis County officials say opioid harms fell after $2 million federal grant, urge continued funding
Summary
City and county leaders credited a roughly $2 million federal grant and local programs with increased naloxone distribution, training and a reported drop in overdose deaths, while urging continued funding and expanded services including jail reentry supports.
Mayor Kirk Watson and Travis County leaders on Tuesday described a year of expanded overdose-prevention work in Austin and Travis County they say was made possible by federal funding and local partnerships, and reported declines in opioid-related harms while urging continued investment.
City and county officials said a roughly $2 million federal grant secured with help from U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett funded expanded naloxone distribution, public education and training programs across Austin and Travis County. “Hoy el día de hoy estoy orgulloso de estar aquí con otros que lo hemos hecho,” Mayor Kirk Watson said, praising coordinated efforts by the city, Austin Public Health and county partners.
Officials said the grant helped scale a mix of services — including community naloxone distribution, public-awareness campaigns, trainings to recognize and respond to overdoses, and expanded outreach to justice-involved people — and pointed to measurable outputs. Austin Public Health Director Dr. Desmar Walks said the city and county have trained more than 11,000 people to…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
