Project Trey hosting drug epidemic walk to spread overdose awareness

Lake Charles, LA (KPLC) - Overdose deaths continue to plague the nation, and in Louisiana they’re alarmingly high. Here in Southwest Louisiana there is an ongoing effort to help change that.

“He made that decision, that 10-second decision to take that one pill, and the next morning I found him in his bed. It’s very painful, it’s very painful,” Project Trey founder Tonya Doucette said.

Doucette is preparing for this year’s drug epidemic walk. It’s the second time her nonprofit Project Trey, named after for her son, is hosting the event.

The walk is scheduled for 4 p.m. Sunday, March 19, at Prien Lake Park. Everyone is welcome to participate.

“I’m telling you one thing - it is the most empowering thing there is as a family member when you’re around people that have lost. We understand each other, you don’t even have to know each other’s name. We just get it,” Doucette said.

Project Trey offers a number of resources in an effort to save lives.

“The main purpose is to save one life if we can, and for the families to get education and help them. When they have a loved one that suffers from substance abuse disorder it affects the whole family,” Doucette said.

Addicts are not the only ones who can fall victim to drug use. Doucette said it can happen to anybody.

“It’s not just addicts there’s a lot of people suffering from substance abuse disorder but they’re are many many people that are hanging out taking one pill they’re not users,” Doucette said.

Compared to other states, Louisiana has the seventh-highest overdose rate per capita according to the CDC.

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