Louisiana Funding Priorities

Overdose prevention funding - Louisiana

There were 107,968 drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2022 (34.6 deaths per 100,000 standard population), a 1.2% increase from 2021.1

• There were 2,376 overdose deaths in Louisiana in 20222
• There were 54.5 overdose deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted) in Louisiana in 20222

Overdose prevention programs

• Overdose Data to Action in States
  • Louisiana Office of Public Health STD/HIV Program: $4,688,805

• Public Health and Public Safety
  • Overdose Response Strategy: $87,600*
  • Louisiana Office of Public Health Evidence-Building Award: $50,000

*average award amount

Examples of how Louisiana is working to prevent overdose

Campaign to promote opioid texting resource

Louisiana launched a campaign to promote the Opioid Texting Program, a resource providing 24/7 live support via text. The campaign engaged community partners to reach diverse groups of people statewide. The uptake of promotional materials led to a significant increase in the number of referrals to opioid services statewide. Since the campaign's launch, more than 874 people have called or texted the Opioid Texting Program, resulting in over 2,000 referrals made to 23 types of opioid services.

Reducing overdose mortality

Louisiana successfully implemented an emergency department (ED) overdose response program. To implement the program, Louisiana forged local partnerships with first responders, law enforcement, hospital emergency departments, a harm reduction team, and a coroner. These partnerships allowed Louisiana to collect and utilize local data to drive and implement effective interventions for reducing overdose mortality in the southwest region of the state. One year after the ED overdose response program’s launch, one parish experienced a 35% reduction in overdose deaths from 2021 to 2022.

Suicide prevention funding - Louisiana

• There were 726 suicide deaths in Louisiana in 2022
• There were 15.6 suicide deaths per 100,000 people (age-adjusted) in Louisiana 2022

Suicide prevention programs

• Comprehensive Suicide Prevention
  • Louisiana Department of Health: $784,000

Louisiana's suicide prevention priorities

Louisiana is preventing suicide with CDC Injury Center (NCIPC) funding by:A

• Strengthening access and delivery of suicide care
• Creating protective environments
• Promoting connectedness
• Identifying and supporting people at risk
• Syndromic surveillance

Some groups have higher rates of suicide than others. To address disparities, Louisiana is focusing on:

• Youth and young adults ages 10-19
• Veterans

Examples of how Louisiana is working to prevent suicide

Developing data briefs

Staff from the Louisiana Office of Public Health created a data brief on suicide in the state during the COVID-19 pandemic in response to a same-day request from Louisiana legislators. Staff used near real-time surveillance data and included graphs and data interpretation.

Sharing surveillance data

Louisiana’s ED-SNSRO team is developing a system to rapidly share suicide-related near real-time surveillance data with partners to inform prevention activities. The team is also including a near real-time surveillance overview that can be paired with suicide prevention trainings run by partners.