New Orleans is seeing a slight dip in accidental drug deaths, but the numbers are still brutal. A new report from the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office shows fentanyl and cocaine remained the leading causes of accidental drug deaths in the city in 2025. The office recorded 282 accidental drug deaths last year, just 11 fewer than the year before, and toxicology found fentanyl in nearly seven in ten cases. Men and Black residents were disproportionately affected, according to the report.
Of the 248 cases with toxicology results available, 172 (69.3%) tested positive for fentanyl, 162 (65.3%) for cocaine, 104 (41.9%) for both drugs, and 71 (28.6%) for amphetamine or methamphetamine. The report shows that men and Black residents were hit hardest by the crisis, as…..