Woman going through withdrawal dies at New Orleans jail
NEW ORLEANS — Officials said a woman going through drug and alcohol withdrawal died in her cell at the New Orleans jail. The Advocate reports the woman, whose name wasn't immediately released, was booked Friday and told authorities she had used heroin and alcohol daily for several years.
The Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office said the woman had used heroin Friday and was put in detoxification for opioid and alcohol withdrawal. But officials said she refused her medication at 6:45 p.m. Sunday.
The sheriff's office says jail staff found the woman unresponsive around 9 p.m. Sunday and paramedics were unable to resuscitate her.
Another inmate, 41-year-old Dennis Edwards, died at the jail on Dec. 15 shortly after being placed in the jail's detoxification process. The parish coroner determined he died from hypertensive cardiovascular disease.
