Governor Greg Abbott participated in the 3rd Annual “Soles 4 Souls” Fentanyl Awareness Walk in San Antonio, recognizing the efforts of Texas families and community members working to address the fentanyl crisis.
“We will continue to grow this movement until we purge fentanyl forever in the United States of America,” Governor Abbott said. “There’s an unfortunate fact that we all must understand—there’s more work to be done. All I can ask is that you take the message you learned today and expand it tenfold around San Antonio, around Texas, making our city and our state an ever safer place.”
Other participants at the event included San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz-Jones, “Soles Walking 4 Souls” Directors Kathy Drago and Christina Villagrana, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, San Antonio Police Department Chief William McManus, KSAT-TV News Anchor Courtney Friedman, and several advocates for fentanyl poisoning awareness.
Following legislative action in 2023 with House Bill 3144, every October has been designated as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month in Texas. Governor Abbott also issued a proclamation marking October 12-18, 2025 as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week to help educate children about fentanyl risks.
Earlier this year, Governor Abbott announced an online interactive map from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) as part of the “One Pill Kills” campaign. The map helps Texans find locations where they can access or purchase Naloxone (NARCAN), a medication used to counteract opioid overdoses.
Recent data from DSHS indicates that fentanyl poisoning deaths decreased by more than 42% from July 2024 through June 2025 compared to the previous year. This follows five years during which such deaths rose over 600% between 2019 and 2023, resulting in more than 7,000 fatalities statewide.
