In April 2024, Austin was struck by a nightmare that moved block by block.
Over several days, first responders handled 79 suspected overdoses. Eleven people died across Travis and Williamson counties. Preliminary toxicology found fentanyl in all nine Travis County deaths.
Those were not statistics. They were people whose families received the phone call no parent, child, partner, or friend is ever prepared to answer. A place at the table went empty. A life ended because fentanyl had entered drugs some victims may not even have known contained an opioid.
That should have forced Texas leaders to treat fentanyl with unmatched urgency.
Instead, state lawmakers continue to devote extraordinary energy to banning consumable hemp-derived THC. In July, Sen. Charles Perry confirmed that he plans to file another ban when the Legislature returns in 2027.
Perry needs to reconsider his priorities.
Concerns about intoxicating hemp products are legitimate. Children should not be able to buy them. Products should be accurately tested, clearly labeled, and sold in child-resistant packaging. Businesses that market to minors or deceive consumers should face serious penalties.
But hemp calls for regulation. Fentanyl calls for an emergency response.
Texas health officials report that drug-poisoning deaths rose 68% from 2019 to 2024. In Travis County, 179 people died from accidental fentanyl overdoses in 2024. That was down from 245 in 2022, a decline the county attributes to greater awareness and expanded naloxone access.
That progress matters because it proves prevention saves lives. Yet Texas still has not fully embraced one of the simplest tools available. House Bill 1644 would have protected the use, possession, and distribution of equipment that tests drugs for fentanyl and xylazine. The Texas House passed it in 2025, but it stalled after being referred to the Senate Criminal Justice Committee.
Lawmakers found time to push a sweeping THC ban. Perry is already preparing to try again. But legislation that could help someone discover fentanyl hidden in a pill or powder never reached the governor’s desk.
That is not a serious public health priority.
Fentanyl test strips do not approve of drug use. Naloxone does not encourage addiction. A fire extinguisher does not encourage fires. These tools simply recognize a human truth: Someone must survive today to have a chance at treatment tomorrow.
I am not asking Texas to ignore the problems within the hemp market. Set a minimum purchasing age of 21. Require testing and honest labels. Limit potency. Keep products away from schools and children. Hold reckless sellers accountable.
But stop treating hemp-derived THC as though it is the deadliest threat facing Texas families.
Fentanyl can be hidden in counterfeit pills, cocaine, and other drugs. One contaminated dose can turn a mistake into a funeral. Families across Texas are living with that grief while lawmakers prepare another political battle over hemp.
Sen. Perry and other state leaders should put the same urgency into legalizing fentanyl test strips, expanding naloxone access, strengthening treatment and supporting local outreach.
Texas has spent decades proving how tough it can be on drugs. Now it must prove how serious it is about saving lives.
The war should be on fentanyl, not hemp-derived THC.
Michael A. Davis is an Austin writer, author, certified life coach, and reentry advocate. His work focuses on Black Austin, criminal justice, and Texas public policy. His opinion column “The Sign Still Stands, but Old East Austin Is Disappearing” was published by the Austin American-Statesman.
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This article appears in July 31 • 2026.