Gov. Abbott launches statewide fentanyl data dashboard
AUSTIN, Texas - Gov. Greg Abbott announced the launch of a statewide fentanyl data dashboard by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) this week. The dashboard is part of the "One Pill Kills" campaign, which was launched last year in an effort to combat the fentanyl crisis.
Data goes from 2014 to 2023, and it shows the group with the highest number of deaths is men between 25 and 34 years old.
"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. "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," DSHS Commissioner Dr. Jennifer Shuford said. "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."
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Information on fentanyl and other drug poisonings comes from death certificates, which DSHS maintains, and will be updated four times per year. It shows that fentanyl-related deaths have exploded over the last few years, increasing more than 575 percent over a four-year period from 317 in 2019 to 2,161 in 2022.
Last month, surrounded by affected families, Abbott signed several bills aimed at saving more lives.
"You ensured that there would be a purpose for the lives of everybody affected by this," he said then.
Others, however, want to see more interventions.
"Whether it's fentanyl testing strips to syringe service programs... people don't have enough access to methadone. They don't have access to quality treatment programs," Paulette Soltani with Texas Harm Reduction Alliance said last month.
Click here for the dashboard.