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Sabine Parish deputy coroner urges local opioid prevention push, seeks small-budget support
Summary
Deputy Coroner Stanley Cook told the Sabine Parish Police Jury that fentanyl and counterfeit pills are driving a spike in investigations and deaths and requested modest parish support for a '1 pill can kill' awareness campaign while the parish explores attorney-general settlement funds for prevention.
Deputy Coroner Stanley Cook told the Sabine Parish Police Jury that opioid overdoses — particularly fentanyl in counterfeit pills — are driving a steady increase in investigations and deaths across the parish. "We have had 154 calls of service and investigations," Cook said, adding that "just last month alone, I had 26 commitments" and that he had "17 death investigations pending." He described fentanyl-laced pills as a central cause: "7 out of 10 pills is on the street ... they think they're buying Tylenol. It kills them."
Cook said the attorney general's office has urged coroner offices to lead locally developed prevention and education work and that settlement money from opioid litigation could be directed to parishes for that purpose. "Miss Morrell said the attorney general's office should reach the settlement ... each police jury ... would have some funds coming in from the attorney general for public awareness," he said. Cook asked the jury for modest resources — pamphlets, caps, T-shirts — to support a 45‑minute school and community presentation titled "1 pill can kill."
Jurors and community partners described existing local prevention efforts. A Sabine Prevention Alliance representative offered to provide research-based youth survey results and materials at no cost and noted the parish's Caring Community Youth Survey (CCYS) provides biannual data the alliance uses to target prevention programs. Jurors also discussed using funds already set aside in the parish opioid account to support locally proposed education and prevention activities; a juror noted about $150,000 is currently in the parish opioid fund.
Cook and jurors agreed to bring coroner budget needs and prevention options to the finance committee for review, and staff were asked to identify what opioid-settlement funds might be eligible to support the coroner's proposed outreach. The jury did not adopt a specific appropriation during the meeting; jurors requested more detailed budget figures for committee consideration at a later date.
