LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY) -- The Louisiana Department of Health's Office of Public Health held an event called Narcan On The Go! The event was a critical initiative aimed at educating the community about opioid overdose prevention and distributing free Narcan (naloxone) kits.

Dr. Tina Stefanski, who is the regional medical director for the Office of Public Health in Acadiana, said that over the last several years, the Department of Health has seen a "tremendous increase" of people who have overdosed and overdosed and died.

“These overdoses are primarily led by the drug Fentanyl, which is pervasive throughout our community," Stefanski said.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is an opioid that is typically used to treat patients with severe pain following surgery. Fentanyl is about 100 times more potent than morphine.

Stefanski said fentanyl is being put into counterfeit or fake pills, and mixed into other drugs.

“People are able to unfortunately order fake or counterfeit pills that can contain fentanyl. Someone may think they're ordering something and what they actually get is not is not what they thought they were ordering,” she said.

“We have these fake or counterfeit pills that are containing fentanyl. Fentanyl being placed into the street drug supply. So cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and again, leading to this increase in overdoses," she continued.

Stefanski said Narcan can reverse an overdose if it is given quickly enough. It is a nasal spray and if you think someone is having an overdose -- if they're not responsive, if they're breathing shallowly, disoriented, or turn blue -- to call 911 first. Stay with the person and if you have Narcan, or naloxone, you should give it.

“There are two Narcan nasal sprays in each box. So you spray in the nostril. If after a few minutes, their breathing is not restored, after about three to four minutes, you administer the other nasal spray. And again, you stay there and wait for emergency medical personnel to arrive,” she explained. “It is a life-saving medication, but it needs to be given early.”

Stefanski said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration made the medication over the counter several months ago because it is recognized as having saved just hundreds of thousands of lives.

“Hope is available for people who are struggling with addiction and so we really want that message. At the same time, we're talking about this life-saving medication. We want people to know that there is hope there are new therapies to treat people who might have a substance use disorder or an addiction,” she said.

"We see a high rate of overdoses in people recently released from substance abuse treatments and jail... Because we know addiction is difficult and [they] start using drugs at the same level that they were when they went into that facility, they're more likely to overdose," she continued.

Stefanski said the drug landscape is changing and drugs are becoming more powerful.

"There's actually other substances being mixed in with fentanyl where Narcan won't work and so that is a real concern of ours, is that as the drug landscape continues to change, we might get to a point where Narcan is not as effective as it is now," she said.

"This is a great thing for people to have, and we should all have it because you can absolutely save a life. We also know that the drug landscape continues to change and so that's just awareness, again, that we all need to remain aware of the new dangers that are emerging on our streets," she continued.

If you are using substances and have a substance use disorder or an addiction or having difficulty stopping, call 211. Go to the website and get help and access to the treatment. Learn how to use Narcan here.

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