Terrebonne council adopts synthetic drug ordinance

With a proposal that has been months in the making, the Terrebonne Parish Council last Wednesday adopted an ordinance that could stop merchants selling bath salts from doing business of any kind.

A unanimous vote set in motion a policy that, except where federal and state law applies, goes one step beyond outlawing the possession of synthetic drugs as Scheduled 1 controlled substances.

The landmark ordinance also takes aim at the occupational licensing of any business found to sell products, such as bath salts, identified as containing a chemical mix qualifying it as a synthetic narcotic.

Businesses selling such products in Terrebonne Parish would be subject to having their occupational licenses revoked and prohibited from gaining a new license.

Sixteen-year-old Austin Bourg of Theriot spoke before the Parish council and told of his experience having smoked synthetic marijuana, which caused him to enter into cardiac arrest.

“I was one of those that smoked it,” Bourg said of the narcotic experience. He told how friends provided him with the drug, refused to call police when the teenager pled for help then left him abandoned once he collapsed.

Bourg said, based on his personal experience, he would support the ban as a member of the public.

“I wouldn’t want too many friends like that,” Councilman Greg Hood told Bourg.

“Tell your friends … your experience,” Councilwoman Christa Duplantis said to the youth.

“I think what you need to do is go to all the schools and be a spokesperson,” Councilman Russell “Red” Hornsby added to Bourg’s admonishments.

“If Terrebonne Parish can give fines for simple things like playing music too loud in your car or your home, then why can’t Terrebonne Parish stop these people from selling drug?,” Bourg’s mother, Alina Daigle, said.

Terrebonne Parish School Board member Roger Dale DeHart told the council he has seen opportunities youths have to make bad choices and said such a ban would help control opportunities for drug purchases made legal by product packaging. “Please ban anything that gives kids the opportunity to endanger their lives,” he said.

Councilman John Navy identified the ordinance as non-traditional and said it would take a non-traditional approach to deal with drug sales because past policies are not longer impactful. “This is a law that is going to protect our most precious citizens,” he said.

Terrebonne Parish Sheriff Jerry Larpenter told how he has witnessed an increase in drug use locally as well as noting national statistics. “We have a serious problem,” he said. “Since we’ve been back as your sheriff on July 1, we have had three killings. [They were] all drug related. When an individual is selling poison over the counter and making a profit … it is time to say, ’Wait a minute. You don’t need to do business in Terrebonne Parish.’ We should take their occupational licenses.”

Hood, who authored the ordinance, said while some drugs are difficult to acquire, synthetic drugs, sold under commercial packaging in select convenience stores, are easy to purchase over-the-counter.

Councilman Danny Babin said the public could help with passage of the synthetic drug ordinance by avoiding businesses that sell bath salts.

“It’s all about money,” Babin said. “We’ve got a lot of good convenience stores in this parish that sell legitimate things. Let’s get some community involvement. Start boycotting these stores. Stop buying at these stores that sell this stuff. Picket the stores. Look, I advocate anything to stop them. If you don’t buy gas from them, if you don’t buy cigarettes, if you don’t buy milk and bread they are not going to stay in business.”

“I am dealing with Baton Rouge right now about the occupational license [revocation included in the ordinance],” Hood said. “It [involves] state law and I have to get that changed, and I’ve gotten strong support.”

Although passed by the parish council, the new synthetic drug law must also be approved by the Louisiana Legislature before it can be enforced.