A new request from City Council could lead to more funding for overdose reversal kits and related training for Austinites as Central Texas governments seek to combat the rising number of opioid overdose deaths reported from the local to national levels.
On April 13, council will consider a resolution from District 6 Council Member Mackenzie Kelly aimed at increasing resources for the city's work with overdose prevention. The resolution asks to:
Ensure Austin-Travis County EMS is provided with “consistent and reliable funding” for medicine used to reverse opioid overdoses, such as naloxone—commonly distributed as the Narcan spray—for both staff use and distribution to partners in the community;
Explore sending the overdose medication and related materials to local businesses in opioid “hot spots” and budgeting for such efforts; and
Consider placing opioid kits and Narcan in city facilities, potentially alongside medical equipment such as defibrillators.