Cornyn hosts conversation on North Texas Fentanyl crisis

Senator John Cornyn joined local leaders and families in Dallas Monday to discuss ways to combat the fentanyl crisis in North Texas.

“It’s going to take all of us to try to save lives here,” said Sen. John Cornyn.

Cornyn praised the action of local leaders and organizations working to address the crisis and heard from those directly impacted.

Collin Temple survived a fentanyl overdose.

“I was in active fentanyl addiction, mentally and physically,” Temple said. “Without it my body felt crippled, my spirit felt crushed.”

His mother Marissa Gonzales spoke about the stigma that surrounds families dealing with addiction and the challenges of finding resources for young people.

“Parents are in denial about this happening to their loved ones because I sure was in denial,” Gonzales said. “I didn’t know how to navigate the system and find help for him. I had to do that on my own and, boy, was I lost.”

A new city program is addressing the gap. Dallas Fire Rescue and the Recovery Resource Council partnered to create an Overdose Response Team.

After paramedics respond to an overdose, the response team will reach out 24 hours later to connect the person and their family to resources that can help.

Cynthia Pursley spoke about the non-profit she started after losing her stepson.

“When he fell on hard times he unfortunately became a statistic in 2022,” Pursley said.

Her organization, LIVEGY, distributes Narcan to businesses and organizations. The medicine can rapidly reverse an overdose.

“This is not going to get any easier,” said Cornyn.

The senator said it will take the continued work of parents and action by leaders at the local, state and national level to address demand for the drug and the supply coming from across the border.

According to the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Dallas Field Division seized more than eleven million fatal doses of fentanyl last year.

Many of the fentanyl deaths documented in North Texas occurred among young people unaware they took a pill laced with fentanyl.

Cornyn encouraged parents to have continued conversations with their children about fentanyl and the dangers of sharing medications among friends, which might unknowingly contain fentanyl.

"They need to know if something they're taking something that will kill them," Cornyn said.

Earlier this summer Cornyn introduced legislation that would increase access to fentanyl testing strips nationwide with the goal of preventing deaths.

Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot spoke about using funds from civil forfeiture to address the crisis and supported Cornyn's efforts to de-criminalize fentanyl testing strips.

"What we're doing is helping solve a much larger problem - saving a life," Creuzot said.

Fentanyl test strips are illegal in some states, including Texas. Bipartisan efforts by state lawmakers to change that failed during the last legislative session.

“We’re not going to give up,” Cornyn said.