When you hear the term 'opioid crisis' you probably think that is a big city problem and not much of an issue for small towns and communities in Louisiana. Not only would you be wrong in that thinking, but you would also be dead wrong in a lot of instances. Not only does Louisiana have an opioid issue, but it is an issue that is hitting home in many of our smaller communities and less populated parishes.
Now, let us be clear. Opioids, when used as prescribed by a medical professional, can be a great tool in the suppression of pain and the ability of a patient to heal. It is when these medicines are used improperly or abused what 'the good medicine does' is tarnished by the death and destruction its misuse can bring. Not surprisingly a study in 2022 found that parishes that have lower instances of prescriptions for opioids also have lower instances of opioid abuse. This is part of the reason that so many medical professionals have opted out of prescribing these kinds of medicines, especially when there are other not-as-addictive options available. Here are how our state ranks per prescription distribution: #5 Ouachita Parish The parish that is home to Monroe and the University of Louisiana at Monroe has a dispensation rate of 93.9 per one hundred people. This rate is 37.5% higher than the state average and 116.9% higher than the national average according to Stacker.com.
#4 East Baton Rouge The parish that is home to Louisiana's Capital City, Baton Rouge, has the fourth highest dispensation rate for opioids in Louisiana. Currently, East Baton Rouge Parish dispenses at a rate of 98.2 per one hundred people. That figure is 43.8% higher than the state average and 126.8% higher than the national average.
#3 Evangeline Parish It is the least populated parish in Louisiana's top five for opioid distribution. The numbers from Evangeline Parish are not pretty. The Stacker.com report suggests that opioids are dispensed at a 103.1 per one hundred people rate. As you might imagine, that is 51% higher than the state average and 138.1% higher than the national opioid dispensation rate.
#2 Rapides Parish The heart of CENLA is also apparently the heart of opioid distribution in the middle of the state. The Stacker.com article suggested that the dispensation rate in Rapides Parish for opioids was 117.4 per one hundred people. That is 71% higher than the state average and 171.1% higher than the national average.
#1 Caddo Parish The northwest corner of the state is apparently a hotbed for opioid distribution. Maybe it is because Caddo is the closest large parish to so many smaller communities and there are many great hospitals there. Regardless, Caddo hospitals and doctors dispense opioids at 96.9% above the state average and some 210.6% higher than the national average. In fact, the opioid dispensation rate in Caddo Parish is 134.5 per one hundred people.
If you are struggling with a substance, use problem please reach out. Our email is milliemattered@ gmail.com or message us on Facebook or Instagram at Millie Mattered Overdose & Addiction Advocacy.
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