Austin, Texas, sees ‘unusually deadly’ string overdoses
Austin Chief Deputy Medical Director Heidi Abraham said there were more than 30 calls for overdoses on Monday, compared to the typical two to three calls per day. (Credit: Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services)
Austin, Texas, saw an "unusually deadly" surge of more than 60 opioid overdoses between Monday and Wednesday, resulting in nine people dying and several others being rescued with Narcan, according to officials.
At about 9 a.m. on Monday, Austin-Travis County EMS personnel began responding to a sudden surge in opioid-related overdose calls.
Dispatchers received a series of calls in the downtown area, resulting in a rapid response team that included the Austin-Travis County EMS team and others, being deployed to downtown Austin.
When the team arrived, they distributed over 200 Narcan rescue kits throughout the area to counteract the effects of opioid overdoses, while also providing lifesaving intervention to anyone overdosing on opioids.
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Austin police responded to a surge of overdoses on Monday and Tuesday. (FOX 7 in Austin)
"The trend that we’re seeing in this group of overdoses is that it is unusually deadly," Austin Chief Deputy Medical Director Dr. Heidi Abraham said during a press conference Monday. "There have been four deaths, so far, that we suspect are related to the overdoses. We’ve not experienced overdoses of this volume in several years."
Significant surge
Abraham said on a typical day, emergency personnel could respond to between two and three overdose calls. But with the surge in overdoses being reported Monday, crews have responded to more than 30 calls, Abraham explained. And the numbers keep going up, and the situation continues to evolve.
While the numbers are high, Abraham said the overdose patients have responded to Narcan. In fact, officers with the Austin Police Department were first on the scene for many of the overdoses, and administered Narcan, saving the patients’ lives.
Packs of Narcan. (FOX News)
Abraham could not say what type of drugs the overdoses are primarily associated with, though she explained the patients reported using various different drugs before overdosing.
Overdoses throughout the city
Officials also said the overdoses are not just limited to one section of Austin. They said the first few calls started downtown and expanded from there.
Not only are the overdoses occurring in public spaces, but they are also happening at residences and businesses, officials added.
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EMS officials said anyone using drugs purchased on the streets should assume the narcotics are contaminated. (iStock)
‘New batch’
Although none of the officials would speak about the investigation, they said when outbreaks like this happen, the suspicion is that a "new batch" arrived in town, which is believed to be from the same drug sources.
Still, EMS officials said everyone using drugs purchased on the streets should suspect they are tainted.
Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services provided updated numbers on Tuesday, saying eight people were dead after a 27-hour-long opioid overdose outbreak consisting of a total of 51 overdose calls, FOX 7 Austin reported.
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"You should never use an unknown substance, but if you choose to, we encourage people to start low, go slow, and never use alone," Abraham said. "You should always use with a friend nearby who has Narcan and is able to call 911."
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story stated the outbreak started on Tuesday, when in fact it began Monday and has lasted more than two days.
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