Austin, TX
Largest fentanyl spike in decade puts Austin on high alert
AUSTIN, Texas — Capt. Christa Stedman of Austin-Travis County EMS says their overdose heat map from last week shows a troubling drug scenario that led to at least 79 separate incidents and nine deaths in the greater Austin area.
“The thing that makes this surge so different than others is most of these people weren’t trying to take opioids,” Stedman said. “They were trying to use multiple different substances — crack cocaine, methamphetamine, K2.”
If there is a silver-lining, the 17-year field expert said it was the city’s quick response teams and dispersal of hundreds of units of naloxone to counteract the deadly street narcotic.
“Some of those additional adjustments were putting additional commanders out on the street, running calls,” Stedman said. “Our community health team distributing Narcan, essentially giving it to anyone they passed.”
While the surge is reportedly over, those responsible for the spike are still mostly unknown. Patrick Eastlick, a lieutenant with the Austin Police Department’s Organized Crime Unit, says five arrests were made involving the selling of this illicit drug. However, the suspects haven’t been directly linked to this deadly batch and whether a larger local supplier or even Mexican cartels are involved is still part of an ongoing investigation.
“Step by step, we go after the dealers, street level or higher up and just keep following leads to get to the main source,” Eastlick said.
According to a recent report from ATCEMS, Travis County has about twice as many opioid overdose deaths as any other in Texas. It’s a sobering reminder of the dangers of putting any unknown substance into your body.
“You don’t know where it came from,” Stedman said. “Even if you got it from your friend despite their best interests, unless you got it from somewhere legitimate, you’re just taking a gamble.”
Austin had a particularly itchy and drippy cedar fever season to start the year. Many winter days, from late December into February, had high or very high ashe juniper (aka cedar) pollen counts.
Central Texas has a year-round allergy season with mold popping up at any time. For the more traditional spring and fall allergy seasons, forecasters at AccuWeather are predicting some of the allergens across the country will be worse this year than average.
Texas, though, is a different story.
For grass allergies, which happen now through September, AccuWeather estimates Austin will have an average season. However, just west of the Interstate 35 corridor in the Hill Country to almost El Paso, that season is expected to be worse than normal.
“Texas may experience above-average grass pollen for a few weeks,” AccuWeather’s allergy report said, “though the season could be shorter-lived compared to northern areas.”
It all depends on the weather
How much rain we get in the next six months and the perennial Texas heat will all affect the growing season for grasses and weeds, as well as the amount of pollen trees produce. The Farmers’ Almanac and the Old Farmers Almanac are both predicting a wetter and warmer spring.
Rain helps plants grow, which can increase pollen production over time. However, rainfall during allergy season can also bring temporary relief by washing pollen out of the air. That’s what we’re expecting this weekend, with our first meaningful rain chance in nearly three weeks. Tree and weed pollen levels might briefly drop, but mold could spike because it thrives in damp, humid weather.
If spring continues with excessive heat like we saw in February, it could limit the growth of some plants and trees. Extreme heat can reduce how much they grow, and how much pollen they produce. On the other hand, if we get a healthy balance of rain and only slightly above-normal temperatures — not extreme heat — pollen counts could climb. That’s especially true as we head into April, typically our windiest month of the year, which helps spread pollen more easily.
How can you treat allergies in Austin?
If you are feeling the effects of allergies, here are some things you can do to lessen them:
- Start taking allergy medication at least two weeks before your allergen’s season is supposed to start. Keep taking your allergy medication throughout your allergen’s season, even on low-pollen days.
- Vary your allergy medication. You can take a nasal spray, an eye drop and an oral antihistamine at the same time to treat the different symptoms. If one kind of allergy medication isn’t working, consult your doctor about whether you should add a second one or switch out the medication.
- Take a shower before going to bed.
- Take off outside clothes or shoes when you get into the house.
- Do a daily nasal wash such as a neti pot or saline spray.
- Consider seeing an allergist to get drops or shots to lessen your reaction to the allergen.
Consider these household tips to improve your chances of keeping allergens away:
- Change the filters in your house regularly during cedar fever season.
- Vacuum and sweep regularly.
- Change your sheets, especially your pillow regularly.
- Keep doors and windows closed.
- Clean out the vents in your home.
- Have your home tested for indoor allergens such as mold.
- Wash and brush the animals in your house to lessen the amount of allergens in the air.
- Wear a mask outside or inside while you are trying to lessen the pollen or mold indoors.
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