City of Arlington Works to Prevent Fatal Opioid Overdoses by Providing Free Naloxone to Bars, Hotels and Motels

By Susan Schrock, Office of Communications

Posted on October 21, 2024, October 21, 2024

Synthetic narcotics are the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in Tarrant County, with 176 fentanyl-related deaths reported in 2022. Most of those overdose deaths were unintentional, county data shows.

For some, the difference may have been immediate access to a life-saving medication called naloxone, an over-the-counter nasal spray that can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. As part of a new public health initiative, the City of Arlington’s Health Services will begin providing two free doses of naloxone to bars, hotels and motels to administer to employees or customers experiencing an opioid overdose while medical help is on the way. Click here to fill out a form if your Arlington business wants to participate in the voluntary harm reduction program.

“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.”

The nonprofit Unity Recovery in Weatherford is providing the medication to the City of Arlington 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. 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. Naloxone Texas also received funding during the 88th Texas Legislative Session in 2023.

"At Unity Recovery, we believe that access to naloxone is crucial in preventing overdose deaths and giving people a second chance at recovery. 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. Every dose of naloxone represents hope, and every life saved is a life that can be supported on the path to recovery," said Ashley Gainey, Unity Recovery’s regional community distribution hub director for Texas.

While Tarrant County does have a significantly lower overdose mortality rate than the United States overall, the county did report a 22% increase in fentanyl-related deaths from 2021 to 2022, data shows. And 2022’s fentanyl-related deaths were higher than the 134 such deaths the country saw combined between 2016 and 2020.

It's a trend Arlington hopes to help reverse by making naloxone more readily available throughout the community. Arlington has approximately 200 bars, motels and hotels, but Rockhill said the program will be open to any Arlington businesses who want to participate.

“People never have a chance to get better from substance use if they die. This is happening in our community. We need to be on the preventative side,” Rockhill said.

As part of the program, a City health inspector would deliver the two doses of the medication and instructions on use and storage to participating businesses. Naloxone is easy to administer and has no adverse effects if given to someone not experiencing an overdose. Individuals who administer naloxone in good faith are generally protected under Texas’ Drug Overdose Good Samaritan Laws.

More information about Texas Targeted Opioid Response can be found at https://naloxonetexas.com.

Recovery support information can be found at https://bewelltexas.org.