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Page last reviewed: August 16, 2024
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Houstonians are facing the collision of two health emergencies: the COVID-19 pandemic and worsening opioid addiction. Houston first responders report a 17% increase in overdoses in the second quarter of 2020 compared to the same time period last year.
A weeklong awareness effort to curb the growing misuse and addiction to prescription pain medication in the region, where deaths in Harris County associated with opioid overdose are up 135% since 2013, was announced today at Houston City Hall by officials of the Houston Health Department, area municipalities and the University of Houston at Sugar Land in partnership with HCA Houston Healthcare.
The Houston Health Department is working to address the opioid crisis before it becomes an epidemic in the city. Two recent grants, the first of their kind awarded to the health department, focus on reducing overdose deaths, referring people to treatment, providing education and improving data collection.