Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
San Antonio outlines opioid settlement spending plan; city, county coordinate on Narcan, harm reduction and youth prevention
Summary
City health officials presented data showing recent declines in fatal overdoses and described planned uses of opioid settlement money including Narcan distribution, harm reduction supplies via the county, youth prevention pilots and expanded medication-assisted treatment for people experiencing homelessness.
Jesse Higgins, chief mental health officer for Metro Health, told the San Antonio Community Health Committee on May 19 that national and local fatal overdose data show declines into 2024 while local stimulant-related deaths remain a concern. Higgins said the city is using an evidence-informed framework—prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery—to develop spending recommendations for opioid settlement funds and will present a spending plan to City Council for approval.
Higgins said Centers for Disease Control data included in the presentation show a continuing decrease in fatal overdoses nationally into 2024, while Bexar County’s stimulant (primarily methamphetamine) overdose deaths outpace state and national levels. She also cited the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s 2023 report showing that polysubstance use is common and that stimulants and opioids both pose local threats.
The presentation summarized the legal and funding context for settlement dollars.…
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
