Photo: Texas Governor's Office
Governor Greg Abbott has announced the launch of the State of Texas' coordinated "One Pill Kills" campaign to combat the growing national fentanyl crisis plaguing Texas and the United States. This announcement comes after Governor Abbott directed state agencies to ramp up efforts to combat the deadly fentanyl crisis last month.
Following a roundtable discussion with state and local law enforcement, the Governor was joined by Texas Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw and Beaumont Police Chief James Singletary for a press conference highlighting the severity of the fentanyl crisis and outlined the comprehensive actions taken by the State of Texas to address the unprecedented influx of this deadly drug into communities across the state.
"Fentanyl remains the single deadliest drug threat our state and nation has ever encountered, killing four Texans every day," said Governor Abbott. "Fentanyl is a clandestine killer, with Mexican drug cartels strategically manufacturing and distributing the drug disguised as painkillers, stimulants, anti-anxiety drugs, and even candy. In the Biden Administration's negligence to address this national security threat, Texas has designated Mexican drug cartels as terrorist organizations and is launching a statewide public awareness campaign to fight the fentanyl crisis in our state. I am proud to announce the launch of the State of Texas' comprehensive 'One Pill Kills' campaign to remind Texans that just one pill laced with fentanyl can take someone's life. Together, we will protect more innocent lives from being lost to this deadly drug."
Governor Abbott also announced new laws to be considered this upcoming legislative session that would classify fentanyl as a poisoning, allow charging an individual for murder if they distribute fentanyl or drugs laced with fentanyl that kill someone, and make NARCAN more readily available across the state for Texans exposed to fentanyl.
Last year, almost 1,700 Texans lost their lives because of fentanyl. Fentanyl is the number one cause of death in Americans between the ages of 18 and 45. From February 2021 to February 2022, more than 75,000 Americans died as a result of fentanyl-related overdoses. In the past year, Texas law enforcement alone has seized over 342 million lethal doses of fentanyl—enough to kill every man, woman, and child in the United States.