Central Health Further Expanding Naloxone Distribution Network Across Travis County

AUSTIN, Texas — Central Health is expanding its Naloxone Community Distribution and Overdose Prevention Initiative with 13 additional distribution units planned for installation between April and September 2026. The move will bring the program’s countywide total to 45 units, further increasing access to lifesaving medication across Travis County as part of its ongoing response to the opioid crisis.

Distribution units take several forms, including wall-mounted dispensers, newspaper-style kiosks, and fully mechanized, climate-controlled outdoor vending machines accessible 24/7. The program’s newest addition of this kind is an outdoor unit at CommUnityCare Health Centers’ Care Connections Clinic currently being installed and expected to be operational in the coming weeks. An outdoor vending machine is also available at the Central Health Clinical Education Center (the former Brackenridge Hospital).

The machines dispense naloxone, a fast-acting medication that can stop and reverse an opioid overdose and prevent death when administered quickly to anyone who needs it. To reduce stigma and barriers to care, all Central Health naloxone distribution units are 100% self-serve, free, and anonymous, aligning with harm-reduction best practices and ensuring individuals can access lifesaving medication without fear of judgment or repercussions.

“It’s a privilege to help provide access to lifesaving medications to people across Travis County and beyond,” said Alanna Boulton, Central Health’s director of operations for mental health, addiction care, and justice involved health. “We also want to recognize the community organizations that have been doing vital harm-reduction work for years, helping save and improve the lives of our neighbors most in need. Central Health is proud to work alongside these partners, and with the city and county, to better coordinate our efforts and expand our impact.”

Central Health currently operates 32 free naloxone distribution units across Travis County. During the first half of fiscal year 2026 (Oct. 1, 2025–March 31, 2026), Central Health distributed 3,206 boxes of naloxone—totaling 6,412 doses—to community members free of charge.

Expanding Access Through Community Partnerships

The planned expansion will extend naloxone access to several community partner sites, including five Integral Care locations serving individuals with mental health and substance use needs, as well as the Travis County Jail facilities. Units will also be installed at the remaining CommUnityCare Health Centers clinic locations in Pflugerville, Bastrop, and Del Valle.

SAFE Alliance, which serves survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, will also receive units at two locations in Travis County.

Other community partners also maintain outdoor-accessible machines across Austin, including N.I.C.E. (Naloxone In Case of Emergency), a local nonprofit that operates public naloxone vending machines, and the Texas Harm Reduction Alliance, which distributes naloxone through a person-first, street-based approach.

Addressing a Public Health Crisis with Care

Travis County has seen encouraging progress in recent years, with total drug-related accidental deaths declining by about 22% from 2023 to 2024 and fentanyl-involved deaths falling by around 36% over the same period, according to the most recent available county data.

Even as overall deaths have declined, local health leaders emphasize that the impacts of overdose remain uneven across neighborhoods and communities. This underscores the importance of ensuring equitable access to lifesaving tools and prevention resources throughout the county. Central Health’s harm-reduction efforts focus on expanding access to naloxone and support in communities facing the greatest risks.

Building Sustainable, Site-Based Prevention

As the program continues to scale, Central Health is launching an Overdose Prevention Champion Program to ensure each Central Health or CommUnityCare Health Centers clinic has trained staff responsible for overdose-prevention readiness and maintaining adequate naloxone supplies. Additional overdose-prevention and substance-use stigma-reduction trainings are planned for Central Health administrative and leadership teams later this year.

Central Health’s naloxone initiative is part of its broader fiscal year 2026 “Year of Access” investment, which includes $40.2 million dedicated to behavioral health and substance use disorder care, and recovery support across the system and its partners.