Texas Gov. Greg Abbott supports decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips

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Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday mentioned he supports decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, reversing his earlier opposition to the concept as he tries to battle a rise in opioid overdoses within the state, which he has made a degree of emphasis heading into January’s legislative session.

He made the assertion after visiting with University of Houston researchers who’ve developed a fentanyl vaccine that targets the artificial opioid and will block its means to enter the mind, eliminating the drug’s euphoric results. University officers mentioned the drug may have a breakthrough impact by turning into a relapse prevention agent for individuals making an attempt to give up opioid use, which is notoriously troublesome.

Abbott’s workplace has mentioned that 1,672 individuals died from fentanyl-related deaths in 2021, based on preliminary knowledge, in contrast with 883 in 2020. Just just a few years earlier than, in 2018, the state registered solely 214 fentanyl-related deaths. Nationwide, greater than 71,000 Americans died from opioid overdoses in 2021, a 23% improve over 2020.

Abbott mentioned within the subsequent legislative session he needs to vary Texas legislation to categorise deaths attributable to fentanyl overdose as poisonings, which might permit for stiffer penalties — probably together with homicide modifications — for individuals who knowingly promote medication laced with fentanyl to drug customers. He additionally mentioned he wished to make the opioid-reversing drug naloxone — generally generally known as Narcan — extra available throughout the state.

“We also need to legalize fentanyl test strips in the state of Texas so that people will be able to test drugs at home to know whether or not it might be laced with fentanyl,” Abbott mentioned.

Harm discount teams who work with drug customers have known as for the decriminalization of testing strips for years. Sometimes, drug customers don’t know that the medication they purchase are laced with fentanyl and unknowingly ingest the artificial opioid, resulting in overdoses. By utilizing fentanyl testing strips to find out whether or not the opioid is current of their medication, customers can keep away from overdosing on the highly effective opioid. Experts say that might hold them alive till the time wherein they’re prepared to start out shifting off medication.

But tough-on-drugs lawmakers in Texas, together with Abbott, have traditionally been against decriminalizing the testing strips and different drug paraphernalia. Currently, possession of drug paraphernalia — gadgets used to eat unlawful substances that may embrace fentanyl testing strips, used syringes and pipes — is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a superb of as much as $500.

Abbott acknowledged that previously, lawmakers have pushed again in opposition to decriminalizing fentanyl testing strips, “including … myself.”

“I was not in favor of it last session,” he mentioned.

But he mentioned the rise in opioid overdoses from fentanyl within the state has elevated a lot that there’s a “better understanding” that the state must take extra drastic motion to avoid wasting lives.

“There’s going to be a movement across the state to make sure we do everything that we can to protect people from dying from fentanyl, and I think test strips will be one of those ways,” he mentioned.

Disclosure: University of Houston has been a monetary supporter of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news group that’s funded partly by donations from members, foundations and company sponsors. Financial supporters play no function within the Tribune’s journalism. Find an entire list of them here.