In Pointe Coupee Parish, eight people died of drug overdoses in 2022, and four have died this year so far.
In all 12 deaths, fentanyl was present.
In Iberville Parish, 11 of 14 overdose deaths in 2022 involved fentanyl. There have been four overdose deaths in Iberville in 2023 so far —all fentanyl.
It’s an increasingly common trend across Louisiana and the country, and one that’s spreading to rural parishes.
“It’s a game changer and it’s a killer,” said Pointe Coupee Sheriff Rene Thibodeaux.
Fentanyl overdose death rates in the U.S. more than tripled from 2016 to 2021, from 5.7 per 100,000 in 2016 to 21.6 in 2021, according to a recent CDC report.
“Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide and other accidents,” according to a statement from the Drug Enforcement Administration on National Fentanyl Awareness Day.
In Louisiana, fentanyl drug-related deaths increased from fewer than 200 statewide in 2017 to nearly 1,000 in 2022, according to the Louisiana Department of Health.
Overall drug deaths in West Baton Rouge and Pointe Coupee soared in 2021. Since then, they’ve been steadily declining — but the number of drug deaths related to fentanyl has risen.
In West Baton Rouge, there have been 45 overdose deaths from 2020 through 2023 so far. Of those, 27 involved fentanyl. Of the 45 overdoses in Iberville Parish during that time period, 31 involved fentanyl. In Pointe Coupee, there have been 28 overdose deaths since 2020, 23 involving fentanyl.
In all of these cases, fentanyl is mixed with other drugs like heroin, cocaine, or methamphetamine, law enforcement officials say.
“The problem is that none of this is intentional, obviously,” said Pointe Coupee Coroner Dr. Donald Doucet. “They’re taking a narco, or so they think, but it’s fentanyl. It’s just mixed.”
The idea of mixing drugs is not new, said Iberville Parish Coroner Dr. James Grace, but fentanyl is much more deadly than other drugs.
“It’s mixed with amphetamines, tranquilizers, all kinds of things, then the first thing you know you’re dead,” he said.
West Baton Rouge Coroner Yancy Guerin said he never saw fentanyl overdoses like this until a few years ago.
“The only time we would see fentanyl overdoses in the last 15 years or so would be when people used to abuse fentanyl patches,” he said. “Today, people are dying of methamphetamine laced with fentanyl.”
He said people rarely realize what they’re taking is laced.
“People say, my loved one would never do fentanyl, never,” he said. “Families will swear they would never use it, but you never know what’s in other drugs.”
Over-the-counter treatment
Overdoses are treated by naloxone, a medication that rapidly reverses the effects of opioid overdose. In March of this year, the FDA approved over-the-counter Narcan, a naloxone nasal spray.
Doucet said he hopes the drug will become more widely available in Pointe Coupee and other parishes.
“I would like to see an increase in the amount of Narcan available to people,” he said. “It doesn’t require training to use.”
He would like to see Louisiana pass a “good Samaritan” law, where if someone administers Narcan, they would not be liable if something happens.
“I would like to see every teacher have it available,” he said. “We haven’t seen it yet, but I know we will, where someone is gonna overdose in the classroom.”
Thibodeaux said Narcan has been invaluable for the sheriff’s office and fire department, who are often first on the scene of an overdose.
“Oh good lord, it’s useful,” he said. “There would be a lot more deaths without it.”
For now, he wants people to be aware of how dangerous fentanyl, or any drugs, can be.
“I just hope children understand that it’s a complete game changer,” he said. “Years ago, a person could experiment with a drug and possibly be okay. Today, a person can’t try anything.”
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