Governor Greg Abbott participated in the 3rd Annual “Soles 4 Souls” Fentanyl Awareness Walk in San Antonio, where he recognized families and community members for their efforts to raise awareness about fentanyl-related dangers.
“We will continue to grow this movement until we purge fentanyl forever in the United States of America,” said Governor Abbott. “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.”
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 other advocates also attended the event.
In 2023, House Bill 3144 was passed by the Texas Legislature and signed into law by Governor Abbott. As a result, every October is now recognized as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month in Texas to educate residents about fentanyl risks. Governor Abbott has also designated October 12-18, 2025 as Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week to focus on teaching children about the dangers of fentanyl.
Earlier this year, Governor Abbott announced an online interactive map from the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) that shows locations where Texans can access or purchase Naloxone (NARCAN) for free or over-the-counter as part of the statewide “One Pill Kills” campaign. The tool aims to help prevent fentanyl poisonings by increasing access to NARCAN.
According to data from DSHS on the Texas fentanyl data dashboard, deaths from fentanyl poisoning decreased by more than 42% between July 2024 and June 2025 compared with the previous year. This decrease follows five consecutive years of increases in fentanyl-related deaths across Texas.
Additional photos of the event are available.
