LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPEL News) – Fentanyl is, without question, one of the most dangerous threats our community has faced in recent years. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, nearly 108,000 drug overdose deaths were recorded in the United States in 2022, with approximately 74,000 of those involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
In Louisiana, the crisis has hit especially hard. The Louisiana Department of Health reported 1,420 opioid-related deaths in 2022 alone, with 1,216 directly attributed to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. That figure represents a staggering 606% increase in synthetic opioid deaths in the state from 2018 to 2022.
Getting fentanyl off the streets has become the top priority for law enforcement agencies across the state…