AUSTIN, Texas — Austin-Travis County EMS on Tuesday expanded its naloxone kit program, placing rescue kits on all seven district command trucks for distribution to members of the public that are at risk for opiate overdose.
Narcan or naloxone, is a life-saving medication that reverses the effects of an opiate overdose within minutes. ATCEMS Community Health Paramedics (CHPs) have already carried and distributed the kits for years.
“We have had tremendous success with our Naloxone Kit Program over the years, and we have both raw and anecdotal proof that these kits have absolutely saved lives,” said Division Chief of Integrated Services Stephen White. “In October and November alone, our rescue kits successfully resuscitated 37 overdose patients before the arrival of first responders, which proves how important this initiative truly is.”
All ATCEMS response units carry hospital-grade naloxone for paramedic use, but the naloxone in the rescue kits is a simple nose spray that can be administered by anyone. Each kit contains one dose of the life-saving medication, along with instructions for how to use it. Since the inception of the program in 2018, ATCEMS has passed out more than 2,000 naloxone rescue kits to the public.
“There is no question that this initiative has saved hundreds of lives from potentially fatal overdoses,” said Chief White. “This expansion is just one more step we are taking to get these kits out into the community and prevent unnecessary suffering and death.”
According to Travis County, fentanyl overdose deaths increased by 237% in 2021 with 118 overdoses. This year the county is on track to double that number.
White said the deadly opioid is showing up in other drugs like meth and cocaine.
"People don't expect opioids to be in their cocaine," said White. "So they'll use the cocaine without knowing there's fentanyl in it and then have an opioid overdose without even knowing it."
White said the signs of an opioid overdose are no breathing, blueness and the person being unconscious.
ATCEMS CHP Opiate Use Disorder Support Program also operates a highly successful Buprenorphine Bridge Program, which aims to both get clients with opiate use disorder into treatment programs and keeps them out of opiate withdrawal while awaiting placement. A QR code that links to information about all the CHP programs is also included in the naloxone rescue kits, for those that are interested in additional resources.
ATCEMS said CHPs have noted an uptick in opioid overdoses over the holiday season, which is not an unusual trend but makes the timing of this program’s expansion much more valuable. If you need a Narcan kit or treatment call 512-978-0130.