Iberia Parish Gets Naloxone To Combat Drug Overdoses

According to Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry's Office, the leading cause of injury-related death for people who are twenty-five to sixty-four is drug overdose.

Jeff Landry's office has given the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office 200 doses of Naloxone which counteracts the effects of opioid overdose.

Landry says there is an epidemic in the state of Louisiana and all across the nation of people overdosing on opioids including prescription medication.

First responders in Iberia Parish will now have another tool in their arsenal to fight the problem.

Landy says they are able to give out the drugs after there was a settlement with pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

Landry says,

"The abuse and misuse of opioids throughout Louisiana is a public safety crisis that has unfortunately taken the lives of many of our State's people. I appreciate the pro-active work done by our first responders to fight back against this epidemic, and I am glad we are able to give them the naloxone at no cost to the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office."

Officials with the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office says their is an epidemic in their parish, and they responded to more than 30 opioid-related calls, and seven people died from overdose.

Sheriff Louis Ackal says,

"The Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office is committed to the fight against the opioid epidemic in our Parish. We are training our deputies to recognize and opioid overdose, and to administer this drug when necessary. It gives me great pleasure to have this tool readily available when life-saving seconds matter."

Landry's office says that close to 800 people in Louisiana die on an annual basis because of prescription overdoses.

With the new partnership going forward, Landry says there is no limit to the amount of Naloxone doses Iberia Parish can ask for to treat people.