Montgomery County Precinct 3 Constable Ryan Gable will host a free community event on synthetic drugs and fentanyl Tuesday, Oct. 13, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at College Park High School Auditorium, 3701 College Park Dr. in The Woodlands.
The event comes as statewide numbers show sharp progress. Fentanyl-related deaths in Texas fell 46% between 2023 and 2025, dropping from 2,307 to 1,254, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS).
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) released the figures Tuesday, Oct. 6, as part of Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month, established by House Bill 3144, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2024. The announcement, published by Woodlands Online, highlighted state programs aimed at preventing overdose deaths and expanding access to the overdose-reversal drug naloxone.
What the local event covers
The Precinct 3 event will address risks posed by fentanyl, nitazenes and other synthetic drugs, signs of opioid overdose and how naloxone can save a life. A retired Drug Enforcement Administration agent is scheduled to speak. The event is free and open to parents, caregivers and community members.
Statewide decline
The DSHS data tracks deaths where the cause-of-death record contains "fentanyl" or "fentanil," which may include cases involving fentanyl combined with other substances. The state dashboard does not break the figures down by county, so it is unclear how Montgomery County's trend compares. The dashboard also does not specify whether the figures represent calendar years or fiscal years.
Abbott launched the "One Pill Kills" public awareness campaign in 2022. It has reached more than 2.7 billion impressions through social media, billboards, podcasts and digital displays, according to the HHSC press release.
"Fentanyl is a clandestine killer," Abbott said in the Oct. 6 announcement. "One pill laced with fentanyl can take a life."
The Texas Department of Public Safety said it has seized more than 966 million lethal doses of fentanyl since Operation Lone Star launched in 2021, according to a separate DPS release.
Local resources
HHSC Executive Commissioner Stephanie Muth said in the announcement that increasing awareness of overdose reversal medications is key to reducing deaths statewide. The agency contracts with the University of Texas at San Antonio to run Naloxone Texas, a program that ships free naloxone to individuals and organizations. In fiscal year 2026, the program distributed more than 222,000 units.
The Montgomery County Overdose Prevention Endeavor, known as M-COPE, stocks free Narcan kits at multiple locations in the county and offers free overdose-response training.
Free naloxone can be ordered at NaloxoneTexas.com, and educational materials are available at OnePillKillsTX.com.
