After Five Overdoses on Sixth Street, Austin EMS Floods the Bar District With Narcan

On Thursday night, September 17, Austin-Travis County EMS medics and other first responders walked door to door through the Sixth Street entertainment district, distributing 200 Narcan kits to bars and showing staff how to use them. The distribution came roughly a day and a half after five adults were treated for suspected opioid overdoses near Shakespeare's Pub as the street's bars were closing — and two weeks before the Austin City Limits Music Festival is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors downtown.

First responders said the quick use of Narcan, the brand name for the overdose-reversal drug naloxone, helped the five patients recover. Naloxone is a fast-acting, non-addictive medication that reverses an opioid overdose by restoring normal breathing within minutes.

A Direct Response to a Cluster of Overdoses

EMS Capt. Christa Stedman told reporters the Thursday sweep was no coincidence. "This certainly is something we are doing in response to what happened the other night, very similar to what we did when we saw that overdose surge in 2024," she said. "The idea is to flood the area with as much Narcan as we can."

EMS officials said some recent overdose patients in the area required multiple doses of naloxone before they responded — a pattern that has raised concerns about the potency of the drugs currently circulating downtown. Austin police are investigating the substance and its source. "We do have our investigative units looking into, following some leads into where this stuff started," APD Sgt. Rose Perez said.

A Simple Tool, Widely Distributed

During the Thursday distribution, EMS Commander Randy Chhabra demonstrated the nasal spray for bar staff: "You take the atomizer and bury it in the nostril, press the button, and it dispenses all the medication."

The effort extends beyond Sixth Street. City Council Member Zohaib "Zo" Qadri, who represents downtown, is raising awareness of free naloxone distribution sites across Austin, including five in his district. Nonprofits such as This Must Be The Place plan to hand out free naloxone kits at safety booths during the ACL Festival itself. Stedman, for her part, made the case personal: "If I'm going to a concert or anywhere there are other people, I have Narcan with me. It is a really simple tool to use and it could save somebody's life."

Health officials urge anyone who suspects an overdose to administer naloxone and call 911 immediately. The medication will not harm someone who is not experiencing an opioid overdose, while hesitation can cost a life. For people who survive an overdose, that moment can also be an opening toward opioid addiction treatment — if they reach the right support in time.