Slight decline in Fentanyl deaths in St. Tammany, Washington Parishes

ST. TAMMANY PARISH, La. (WGNO) — The District Attorney of St. Tammany and Washington parishes said there’s been a slight decline in overdose deaths. However, it’s still the top cause of overdoses.

DA Collin Sims discussed the latest successes and goals of the Opioid Initiative Task Force. Sims said they arrested a man in the Hammond area allegedly responsible for nearly half of Fentanyl sold on the Northshore.

Sims said he wants to prosecute more street level dealers for murder when they sell drugs related to an overdose death.

“And the hardest thing for us is when we don’t have the evidence where it comes from, and you’re left with someone’s relative or loved one that’s dead, and you can’t go after the guy that did it,” Sims said. “The worse part of this job is when you can’t do that.”

Sims said many people who die from overdoses have multiple drugs in their bloodstream and many use multiple dealers. Investigators must prove which drug caused the death and who supplied it.

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