October Is Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month in Texas. Here Is How to Get Free Naloxone
State law sets aside October to warn Texans about fentanyl. Here is what parents should know, what schools must teach and how to get the overdose-reversal drug at no cost.
Every October, Texas sets aside a month to talk about the drug that has taken too many of our sons and daughters. If your family has not had that conversation yet, there are still nearly two weeks left in this one. And it does not need to wait for October.
House Bill 3144, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2024, made October Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The goal is to teach Texans about the dangers of fentanyl and the life-saving power of opioid poisoning reversal medication.
Why "one pill kills"
DPS says fentanyl is a synthetic opioid 50 to 100 times more potent than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin. Illicitly made fentanyl is often mixed with other drugs, such as heroin, cocaine or counterfeit prescription pills.
The Texas Education Agency puts it plainly for families: other drugs may contain a deadly amount of fentanyl, and you cannot see, taste or smell it. It is almost impossible to tell whether a drug is laced with fentanyl unless it is tested with a fentanyl test strip.
That is why the state’s campaign is called One Pill Kills. Abbott launched it in 2022 to teach Texans how to prevent, recognize and reverse fentanyl poisoning.
"Fentanyl continues to threaten lives and families across Texas, and we cannot let the danger fade from public awareness," DPS Col. Freeman F. Martin said. DPS says it has seized more than 966 million lethal doses of fentanyl since Operation Lone Star began in 2021.
What schools must teach
Under Tucker’s Law, every Texas school system must give students in grades 6 through 12 research-based instruction each year on fentanyl abuse prevention and drug poisoning awareness, according to the TEA. That instruction must include suicide prevention, prevention of fentanyl abuse and addiction, local school and community resources, and health education on substance use.
Abbott designated Oct. 11-17 as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week in public schools. If your child’s school held lessons last week, ask your child what they learned. If you do not like the answer, ask the school.
DPS also offers free One Pill Kills presentations through its Safety Education team for schools, churches and community groups.
How to get naloxone, free
Naloxone is a medication that can reverse an opioid overdose, including one caused by fentanyl or heroin. But the state’s Texas Opioid Response program notes that it only works if someone is there to recognize the signs and respond.
Over-the-counter naloxone is sold without a prescription at many Texas pharmacies, convenience stores, grocery stores, gas stations and online. You can also get it at no cost:
Request it from Naloxone Texas. The program says anyone in Texas can order free naloxone through its confidential online form.
Pick it up at one of Naloxone Texas’ 10 regional distribution hubs, which also offer overdose response training.
Search the state’s Naloxone Distribution Interactive Map, or call your local sheriff’s office to ask about availability.
If someone you love is struggling, the SAMHSA National Helpline at 800-662-4357 offers free, confidential treatment referrals around the clock, and the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline is available by calling 988, the Texas Opioid Response program says.
Keep talking
A pill bought from a friend, ordered online or passed around at a party can be counterfeit. Children need to hear that from their parents, more than once. Keep naloxone in the house and the truck, learn how to use it and pray for the families who have already lost someone.
Drugs are changing fast in Texas, and Dock Line has also followed the fight over the state’s THC rules. Stay informed, and stay close to your kids.
