Drug overdoses in Fort Worth reach 3 year high
TARRANT COUNTY (CBSDFW.COM) - Ambulance calls for drug overdose patients have reached a three-year high in Fort Worth and much of Tarrant County.
Paramedics with MedStar Mobile Health were treating an average of nearly three patients a day in August, after the trend that started in 2019 had started to improve during the latter half of last year.
The increase was reported Wednesday as Governor Greg Abbott announced an executive order designating Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations, due to the massive amount of fentanyl still pouring in over the border.
Appearing with law enforcement representatives in Midland, Gov. Abbott also said he was directing state agencies involved in education, health and the workplace to take a more active role in publicizing the dangers of the drug.
The U.S. Customs and Border patrol has already seized 12,861 pounds of the drug since October of 2021, which can be fatal in a dose as small as 2 milligrams. That's already more than the agency seized during the same period a year earlier.
Bedford's Brigitte Valentine said her brother-in-law was one of the unexpected victims of the drug in June. A father, and an athlete, Aaron Collins died in his home in North Richland Hills. Since then, Valentine has started a push for lawmakers to take notice of the trend, and support legislation that would require bystanders to assist overdose victims.
"A lot of people are too afraid of the cops to get in trouble," she said. "So they would rather just have somebody die and have two kids lose a parent and not care."
MedStar this year started an effort with the Recovery Resource Council to follow up with overdose survivors to offer substance abuse counseling and connect them with community resources.
Even if they aren't interested, paramedics will connect with families. They've done CPR training with nearly 150 people and provided more than 400 Narcan kits, which can reverse the effects of opioids in the event of another overdose.