A new public health initiative combating drug overdoses in Arlington is targeting the city’s hospitality industry.
Arlington’s Health Services will be providing two free doses of naloxone, a medication that can be administered to employees or customers experiencing an opioid overdose while medical help is on the way, to bar, hotels, motels and other businesses, the city announced in a Monday news release.
“Studies show that people who work in the hospitality industry have higher rates of substance use than any other profession,” Health Services Manager Aimee Rockhill said. “Other cities across the country have had great success working with restaurants and bars to have naloxone on site, just like you would with a first aid kit, an Automated External Defibrillator or a fire extinguisher. It’s for a worse-case scenario. But if something bad happens, you could save a life.”
Synthetic narcotics are the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in Tarrant County, with 176 fentanyl-related deaths reported in 2022, marking a 22% increase in the number of deaths from 2021 to 2022, according to county data. The number of fentanyl-related deaths in Tarrant County between 2016 and 2020 was 134.
The Dallas Morning News documented how the fentanyl crisis is plaguing North Texas communities in it’s award-winning project “Deadly Fake.”
Immediate access to naloxone, also known by the brand name Narcan, which is an over-the-counter nasal spray that can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose, can be life saving.
“People never have a chance to get better from substance use if they die,” Rockhill said. “This is happening in our community. We need to be on the preventative side.”
Unity Recovery, a nonprofit in Weatherford, is providing the medication to the city as part of UT Health San Antonio’s “Naloxone Texas” initiative to end the state’s overdose epidemic through medication distribution, public awareness and workforce empowerment, according to the news release.
Naloxone Texas is supported by Texas Targeted Opioid Response, a public health initiative operated by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission through federal funding. The initiative also received state funding during last year’s legislative session.
“By equipping businesses with this life-saving medication, Arlington is taking a bold step toward protecting its community and reducing the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic,” Ashley Gainey, Unity Recovery’s regional community distribution hub director for Texas, said. “Every dose of naloxone represents hope, and every life saved is a life that can be supported on the path to recovery.”
Arlington has approximately 200 bars, motels and hotels, but the program will be open to any Arlington businesses that want to participate. They can do so by filling out a form on the city’s website.
A city health inspector will deliver the two doses of the naloxone and instructions on use and storage to participating businesses.
