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Dallas County launches overdose prevention hotline to address ongoing opioid crisis

Opioid tablets spill from an orange prescription bottle.
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Dallas County Health and Human Services and the North Texas Poison Center announced an overdose prevention hotline to address the rise in overdose-related hospitalizations and deaths in the county. People can call 214-590-4000 from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. starting Oct. 14, 2024.

A new overdose prevention hotline aims to connect people and health care providers in Dallas County with resources.

Starting Monday, Oct. 14, the hotline, 214-590-4000, will operate daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Poison information specialists with the North Texas Poison Center will offer resources to individuals who call, including places to seek further care. The hotline will also offer clinicians assistance in starting medication treatment.

Poison information specialists will offer services in both English and Spanish.

"We are committed to providing our community with the resources and support they need to address the opioid crisis," said Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas County Health and Human services director. "This hotline will serve as a lifeline for many Dallas County residents, connecting individuals with life-saving resources and reducing the devastating impact of opioid overdoses."

Dallas County reported 3,818 fatal and non-fatal overdoses in 2023 – a nearly 58% increase since 2018, according to the county’s Overdose Data to Action Community Needs Assessment. Both the report and the hotline were created with funding from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant program that seeks to improve local overdose responses across cities and states.

Got a tip? Email Kailey Broussard at kbroussard@kera.org.

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Kailey Broussard covers health for KERA News. Previously, they covered the city of Arlington for four years across multiple news organizations and helped start the Arlington Report.