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Overdose deaths in Calcasieu Parish doubling in 2021
Overdose deaths in Calcasieu Parish doubling in 2021 By Rania Kaur | March 11, 2021 at 7:53 PM CST - Updated March 11 at 7:53 PM
LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - As of March 9, there have been 19 deaths in Calcasieu due to drug overdose in 2021.
With an average of two deaths per week, Charlie Hunter, Chief Investigator for the Calcasieu Parish Coroner’s Office says the alarming increase of overdose deaths is due to the highly potent opioid fentanyl that’s beginning to be unknowingly laced with other common drugs.
“People that are taking these drugs are not knowing what exactly the contents of those drugs are, and unfortunately, they are getting fatal amounts of fentanyl. At most times, the use of Narcan and Naloxone cannot reverse the effects of the opioid.”
Alerts
On Monday night, the temperature in Lake Charles, Louisiana dipped to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (minus-10 degrees Celsius), more than 30 degrees Fahrenheit (16.7 degrees Celsius) below average. Hours later, just before the sun rose on Tuesday morning, the city’s power supply abruptly shut off, taking the six local water plants offline with it. When residents woke up, some found themselves cold and in the dark, their water pressure low if working at all.
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Similar experiences have been reported across the central and southern U.S. this week as a historic cold snap revealed significant infrastructure issues. Texas in particular made headlines as it plunged into a week-long emergency and, according to ERCOT officials, was just “seconds and minutes” away from a months-long one. Areas outside the state have received less attention, though the unprecedented cold has created similar issues.