WACO, Texas — Gov. Greg Abbott was in Waco on Tuesday afternoon to discuss the growing fentanyl crisis in a roundtable with state and local law enforcement.
This meeting occurred at 3 p.m. at the Department of Public Safety Waco Regional Laboratory.
Gov. Abbot was joined by Texas Department of Public Safety Director, Steve McCraw and McLennan County Sheriff, Parnell McNamara.
Following the roundtable, Abbott and law enforcement leaders held a news conference.
Abbott reaffirmed the ongoing "One Pill Can Kill" campaign, which has been combatting the spread of the deadly drug fentanyl. One of the main facets of this plan recently announced is to provide law enforcement and some school officials with supplies of Narcan, a counter-drug.
Abbott reminded Texans to be responsible and keep themselves and their families informed about fentanyl. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid that is reportedly up to 100 times more potent than morphine.
Fentanyl's potency makes it incredibly dangerous, as even very small doses can cause a fatal overdose. Law enforcement agencies have also reported finding fentanyl mixed into other illegal drugs and pressed into fake pills meant to look like medicines.
According to the CDC, fentanyl overdose deaths have risen dramatically in the past few years, and are continuing to rise.
Part of Abbott's plan to combat the fentanyl surge is to supply police and schools with Narcan, which counters some of the effects of fentanyl and other opioids. Narcan is often given as a treatment for opioid overdoses.
Abbott said that Chief of School Safety John P. Scott will address concerns in schools and identify where Narcan may need to be supplied, and how much will be needed.
Abbott stated that his goal was to inform the public about opioids and opioid abuse, and that the bottom line was to save lives.
In regards to funding, Abbott stated that Texas has multiple funding plans that can help with the costs of the Narcan. He stated that Texas currently has one of the best economies in the United States, and can easily spare money for the program.
Abbott also mentioned that the Governor's Office has criminal justice grants that could possibly be used to supply the Narcan. Abbott assured everyone that one way or another there would be funding.
Abbott believes that the majority of fentanyl coming into the state is brought in by drug cartels, which he recently had labeled as terrorist organizations. In the conference, he responded to a question about how this would help in the fight against fentanyl.
Abbott answered that designating cartels as terrorist organizations allows law enforcement to be more aggressive about going after the assets and resources of the cartels, including homes, vehicles, and bank accounts.
In response to a question on whether or not fentanyl is designed to kill, Abbott stated "We are a bit mystified by that". He stated that the drug is meant to "hook" people, and is survivable in very small doses, but also commented that its potency still makes it very easy to overdose.
Abbott doubled down on his condemnation of cartels, saying that they do not care about the human cost of their businesses, which he claims is primarily human trafficking.
"Cartels are not humanitarian whatsoever," said Abbott, "they're in it just to make money."
Abbott closed by asserting that the plan was to put the cartels out of business, saying that Texas was the wrong state for cartels to try and do business in.
The conference can be watched online at KCENTV.com, our YouTube page, or our 6+ app available on Roku and Firestick.
Stay with 6 News as this story develops.