(New Orleans, LA) — Edward “Ed” Carlson has joined the race for State Representative in Louisiana’s 91st House District, which includes the Broadmoor, Gert Town, Hoffman Triangle, Central City, Milan, Touro, Irish Channel, Garden and Lower Garden District neighborhoods.
“I humbly announce my candidacy for State Representative in District 91, and I ask those who love New Orleans and love Louisiana to support me, “ said Carlson. “My campaign, my whole message, is about something we desperately need to be discussing, and that is addiction. The fact is that addiction and the increasing demand for illicit drugs is responsible for the current rise in violent crime, for the flow of deadly fentanyl in our communities, and for creating, amplifying, and all but guaranteeing many of the social and economic woes we face. We have to call it what it is, and address it head on. Our city needs leadership in Baton Rouge that understands this, will act boldly, and is committed to results.”
Carlson presents a plan entitled, Crime Reduction Through Substance Use Disorder Treatment: A Plan for New Orleans, which he says is a strategy uniquely tailored to New Orleans to comprehensively address the rise in violent crime across the city by leveraging funding, bridging service delivery gaps, and bringing partners together to expand addiction prevention, intervention, and treatment services. Carlson says that implementing his plan—which requires commitment and leadership on state and local levels—will reduce demand for illicit drugs throughout state, as well as associated crime, alleviate poverty by increasing job readiness and access, reduce health care and criminal justice costs, keep children in school and families together, and, not least, save many lives.
“When the year started, I didn’t know that this would be my path. I’ve never run for office. But I’ve also never seen the need in our community this bad before, and I can’t keep getting calls from parents because their kids have overdosed and died. It’s tragic. My heart breaks for each family, and we just don’t seem to have any sort of plan that people can come together behind. Addiction is massive, and it’s connected to everything—poverty, safety, crime, business success, economic opportunity, you name it. And it has so often been a back-burner issue. But I am determined to address it and lead with clarity.”
Ed Carlson is a native New Orleanian, a lifelong Democrat, a social worker, engaged to an ER nurse practitioner, the father of two talented daughters, and a proven and regarded community partner. Since 2005, he has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Odyssey House Louisiana, Inc. (OHL), the state’s largest nonprofit addiction treatment provider which employs over 300 and serves approximately 25,000 individuals each year.
Ed was appointed by Governor Edwards to the state Drug Policy Board, is a charter member and current Secretary/Treasurer of the Coalition of Louisiana Addiction Service & Prevention Providers, is a member of the World Federation of Therapeutic Communities and the United Nations Vienna NGO Committee on Drugs, and currently serves as President of Treatment Communities of America. Ed earned his Masters in Clinical Psychology from John F. Kennedy University, and has been responsible for the implementation and operation of over 46 treatment programs in his 35+ year tenure in the substance use treatment field.
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