Austin police and Austin-Travis County EMS distributed 200 Narcan kits to businesses along Sixth Street after five overdoses occurred earlier this week.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department (APD) is distributing Narcan kits to bars along downtown Austin’s Sixth Street after five people overdosed Wednesday morning.

APD, working alongside Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services (ATCEMS), distributed 200 Narcan kits to businesses along the entertainment district. Each kit contains two doses of naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan.



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The effort is aimed at putting the opioid-overdose reversal medication in the hands of more people who could administer it before first responders arrive.


Businesses already helping during overdoses

Austin-Travis County EMS Capt. Christa Stedman said some Sixth Street businesses already had Narcan available and were able to use it during Wednesday morning’s incident.

“A lot of them already had Narcan,” Stedman said. “We saw that some of the businesses in the area were able to actually administer Narcan before any other first responders got on scene.”

Stedman said APD officers also played an important role in administering Narcan early in the response.

“I think that’s why we didn’t see [Wednesday] night turn into a tragedy,” Stedman said.


Five people treated after Sixth Street overdoses

The incident happened at around 2 a.m. Wednesday near East Sixth and Trinity streets, when five APD officers responded to reports of multiple people overdosing near Shakespeare’s Pub.

Officers and bystanders administered Narcan at the scene.

According to Austin-Travis County EMS, five adults were treated. No one died, although police said one person went into respiratory arrest.

The distribution of Narcan kits is part of an effort by first responders to increase access to the medication throughout the busy entertainment district.

Police said they cannot confirm whether fentanyl was involved in Wednesday morning’s overdoses, but did confirm that the substance involved had opioid-like effects.