Nearly two dozen community partners are banding together to host a fentanyl awareness event Wednesday to educate Acadiana residents about the dangers of fentanyl and how to respond to an overdose.
The awareness event will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Downtown Convention Center at 124 S. Buchanan Street in Lafayette.
The event will include a presentation from Louisiana Department of Health Region IV Medical Director Dr. Tina Stefanski, Region IV Opioid Prevention Outreach Coordinator Stacy Conrad and Keith Talamo, chief medicolegal investigator for the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office.
The speakers will cover topics such as the dangers of fentanyl, signs and symptoms of an overdose, how to respond to an overdose and the resources available to people struggling with addiction.
Medical professionals will be available for questions and Acadian Ambulance will be providing training on how to use naloxone, the medication designed to rapidly reverse an opioid overdose. Naloxone kits will also be available, while supplies last.
The event is being hosted by Women of Wisdom, a a nonprofit women’s organization in Acadiana that aims to make quality of life improvements in the community, in partnership with entities including Our Lady of Lourdes Health, Ochsner Lafayette General, Acadian Ambulance, Lafayette Consolidated Government and the 15th Judicial District Court.
"This is an important opportunity for members of the Lafayette community to come together and learn about the dangers of fentanyl," said Women of Wisdom’s Mary Lib Guercio, the organizer of the event in a statement. "We want to ensure that everyone has the information they need to stay safe and protect their loved ones."
Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, is driving an opioid overdose crisis across the United States, and in Acadiana. From 2017 to 2021, fatal overdoses in Lafayette Parish increased by 216%, according to data from the Lafayette Parish Coroner’s Office. There were 136 fatal overdoses in the parish in 2021, and 122 of the deaths were opioid-related. Of those, 102 involved fentanyl.
Wednesday’s event is free and open to the public. The program will be recorded and aired on Acadiana Open Channel.