CENTRAL - Fentanyl is the leading cause of overdose deaths in East Baton Rouge Parish this year. Central is working to make sure their community doesn't continue to feel the impacts of the deadly drug.

Police Chief Roger Corcoran shared his personal story of how fentanyl affected his life after his stepdaughter died of fentanyl poisoning four years ago.

"We have to bring awareness to the public because if you don't it's going to continue to happen, and it's not only bringing awareness if you see it or you hear about it notify us because we want to get it off the streets," Chief Corcoran said.

Corcoran said these cases are seen almost daily in the city of Central and events like these help to raise awareness

"We find them at red lights, sitting behind the wheel we find them in the ditch, we go to residences where they overdosed and small children have called 911 and parents have called 911," Corcoran said.

Corcoran told WBRZ he would not want anyone to experience what he and his family are going through.

"My wife fights with it every day. I'm having to raise the children of our daughter and it affects them because they were small. It affects them every day."

Kandyce Cowart spoke during the forum about the dangers of fentanyl. She said they are now seeing the drug in counterfeit prescription bottles and some are even adding it to vapes.

"Most people do not understand what fentanyl is they don't understand how it is obtained. They don't understand how lethal it is, and the scariest part of it is they don't know that it is in every street drug at this point." Cowart said.

Central Mayor Wade Evans says they are doing everything they can to combat the crisis.

"We've had local families who suffered because of this, and because of the overdoses and the fentanyl poisoning is tragic in our community," Evans said.