It’s been just over three weeks since The Daily Iberian revealed a drug problem in Iberia Parish that is said to be of “epidemic proportions,” according to the parish coroner.

Since then, two more people have died from drug overdoses, Iberia Parish Coroner Dr. James Falterman Sr. said.

Falterman said at least 12 people in their 20s and 30s have died from a drug overdose in the last few months, more than he has seen in 15 years.

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And, Falterman said, all of the cases involve some type of prescription drug — specifically, Loritab, Xanax, Soma or Methadone.

“Our society is self medicating itself because of the fast-lane of stress and anxiety,” Falterman said.

In the first report printed in The Daily Iberian on Oct. 10 headlined “Drug Battleground,” Falterman and pharmacists said the risk of death comes in when users combine a number of prescription drugs such as Loritab, Xanax or Soma with Methadone or Oxycontin.

In addition to Falterman and some pharmacists, The Daily Iberian also spoke with a recovering addict and the family of a drug overdose victim who all said these combinations of drugs are not only being acquired on the street but also from “pain management” clinics in Lafayette and Houston.

While Falterman is seeing the deadly and destructive effects of this drug “epidemic,” the 16th Judicial Court is seeing a new flood of users coming into the system.

“We have seen a huge increase in the number of cases turned into our office involving opiates (prescription pain medications),” said Assistant District Attorney Rob Vines, who handles all felony drug cases. “It used to be Oxycontin, but what we’re seeing more of now is Loritab.”

Like Falterman, Vines said other street drugs like marijuana, cocaine, crack cocaine or methamphetamines are still a major problem in Iberia Parish, but the growing popularity of prescription drugs for recreational use poses deadlier consequences. And, Vines said there is another problem with prescription drug abuse.

“It doesn’t have the same stigma attached to it because it’s legitimized. A doctor can write a prescription for it,” he said.

Vines said the courts still are overloaded with people who have been arrested for using drugs compared to those arrested for dealing them. And, because the courts and jails have been overloaded with drug users, the 16th Judicial Court had to look at more effective ways to reduce the number of repeat offenders. One of those ways was the creation of the 16th Judicial District Drug Court.

Mike Vidallier is the program director for all Iberia Parish drug courts and said “it’s known as coerced treatment.” Vidallier said a person in the program has to comply with strict outpatient treatment, attend Alcoholic Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings, they are put on a structured probation, which includes frequent drug screening, and they must get a job.

But, what about drug addicts who haven’t been arrested and are looking for help? Vidallier, Vines and Falterman all said there aren’t many treatment options in Iberia Parish for people not in the criminal system.

For addicts who are looking for a place to turn, Vidallier suggests they start at the New Iberia Addictive Disorder Clinic on Admiral Doyle. He said there, they can put the person on a waiting list for a state-run inpatient facility. Until then, Vidallier said, the drug user may want to attend a number of the AA or NA meetings around New Iberia.

You can go online to www.aa.louisiana.org to search for AA groups in the New Iberia area.