On April 14, Zachary Rotarians heard from Dr. Beau Clark, East Baton Rouge Parish coroner, about the opioid crisis.
Clark called it “the biggest public health threat in the country,” noting that overdose deaths in East Baton Rouge continue to far surpass homicides.
In 2023, at least 283 people died from an overdose in East Baton Rouge Parish, with toxicology results still pending in nine cases. That is much higher than the historical average for the city, but it marks the second year in a row there has been a decrease in fatal overdoses — 296 were reported in 2022, down from a record 311 overdose deaths in 2021.
Clark spoke about the complexity of the solutions, including the need for the public to be educated on dependence and prevention, as well support efforts to increase sentencing for distributors.
For information on the statistics presented by Clark, visit https://tinyurl.com/4f89kxrs.