Opioid overdose surveillance, Georgia 2017 : Drug Surveillance Unit, Epidemiology Section, Division of Health Protection, Georgia Department of Public Health

Opioid Overdose Surveillance Georgia, 2017
Drug Surveillance Unit Epidemiology Section Division of Health Protection Georgia Department of Public Health
https://dph.georgia.gov/drug-surveillance-unit 1

Opioid Overdose Surveillance, Georgia, 2017
The purpose of this report is to describe fatal (mortality) and nonfatal (morbidity) opioid-involved overdoses in Georgia during 2017, including prescription opioids, and illicit opioids such as heroin, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogs. Opioid overdose data were analyzed by the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Epidemiology Program, Drug Surveillance Unit, using Georgia hospital discharge inpatient and emergency department (ED) visit data, and DPH Vital Records death data.
Key Findings Opioid-involved overdose deaths have been rapidly increasing in Georgia since 2010, driven initially by
increased use and misuse of prescription opioids (e.g., Oxycodone and Hydrocodone). Beginning in 2013, illicit opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, drove the sharp increase in opioid-involved overdose deaths.
o From 2010 to 2017, the total number of opioid-involved overdose deaths increased by 104%, from 514 to 1051 deaths.
In 2017, among Georgia residents: o Any opioid-involved overdoses accounted for 5,656 ED visits, 2,622 hospitalizations, and 996 deaths. o Heroin-involved overdoses accounted for 1,521 ED visits, 335 hospitalizations, and 261 deaths. o Fentanyl-involved overdoses accounted for 363 deaths. o Persons aged 25-34 years more frequently died from an opioid-, synthetic opioids-, heroin- or fentanyl-involved overdose, and visited an ED for an opioid-involved overdose than persons of other age categories, yet older persons were more frequently hospitalized because of an opioid-involved overdose. o Males aged 25-34 years died from an opioid-involved overdose more frequently than any other age category, and were 2.9 times more likely to die from an overdose than females of the same age. o Males were 1.8 times more likely to die from any opioid-involved overdose, and 3.7 times more likely to die from a heroin-involved overdose than females. However, females, particularly those aged 45 years and older, were more frequently hospitalized for an opioid-involved overdose than males. o Whites were 4.2 times more likely to die from an opioid-involved overdose, 2.4 times more like to visit an ED for any opioid-involved overdose, and 4.2 times more likely to visit an ED for a heroininvolved overdose than Blacks. o The highest numbers of heroin- and opioid-involved overdose deaths, ED visits, and hospitalizations occurred predominantly in urban areas (Atlanta Metropolitan Area, Augusta, Macon, Columbus, and Savannah). However, high rates of opioid overdose-involved ED visits and hospitalizations occurred in both urban and rural areas, particularly in North, South Central, and Southeast Georgia.
For more information: County level data and other Georgia drug surveillance reports:
https://dph.georgia.gov/drug-surveillance-unit Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) Main Opioid Page: https://dph.georgia.gov/stopopioidaddiction Georgia overdose mortality interactive maps and statistics:
https://oasis.state.ga.us/PageDirect.aspx?referer=MortalityDrugOverdoses Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) information: GA PDMP Overview and FAQs
https://dph.georgia.gov/pdmp
2

Fatal Drug Overdoses (Mortality), Georgia, 2017
Data Source
Overdose-involved deaths were derived from DPH Vital Records death certificates. The following data include all deaths that occurred in Georgia among Georgia residents and deaths that occurred outside of Georgia among Georgia residents, unless otherwise specified. Case Definitions (Note: categories are not mutually exclusive, includes only drug overdose deaths caused by acute poisoning) Any drug overdose death May involve any over-the-counter, prescription, or illicit drug Deaths with any of the following ICD-10 codes as any underlying cause of death: X40-44, X60-64, X85, Y10-14 Drug overdose death involving any opioid Involves both prescription opioid pain relievers (e.g., hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine), opioids used to treat addiction (e.g., methadone), as well as heroin, opium, and synthetic opioids (e.g., tramadol and fentanyl that may be prescription or illicitly manufactured) Deaths with any of the following ICD-10 codes as any underlying cause of death: X40-44, X60-64, X85, Y10-14 AND one of the following: Any of the following ICD-10 codes as any other listed cause of death: T40.0, T40.1, T40.2, T40.3, T40.4, T40.6 Any cause of death text field contains one of the following terms (or common misspelling): heroin, fentanyl (and
fentanyl analogs), methadone, buprenorphine, butalbital, codeine, eddp, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, levorphanol, meperidine, norbuprenorphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, tapentadol, tramadol
OR (for cases without an X or Y code in the underlying cause of death): Any cause of death text field contains the word "TOXIC" AND at least one of the following terms (or common
misspelling): heroin, fentanyl (and fentanyl analogs), methadone, buprenorphine, butalbital, codeine, eddp, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, levorphanol, meperidine, norbuprenorphine, oxycodone, oxymorphone, tapentadol, tramadol Drug overdose death involving synthetic opioids other than methadone Involves synthetic opioids other than methadone (e.g., tramadol and fentanyl that may be prescription or illicitly manufactured). Note: polysubstance abuse deaths may also involve methadone or other opioids Deaths with any of the following ICD-10 codes as any underlying cause of death: X40-44, X60-64, X85, Y10-14 AND one of the following: The following ICD-10 code as any other listed cause of death: T40.4 Any cause of death text field contains the following keywords and common misspellings: fentanyl (and fentanyl analogs), tramadol
OR (for cases without an X or Y code in the underlying cause of death): Any cause of death text field contains the word "TOXIC" AND at least one of the following terms (or common
misspelling): fentanyl (and fentanyl analogs), tramadol Drug overdose death involving heroin Involves heroin. Note: polysubstance abuse deaths may also involve other opioids Deaths with any of the following ICD-10 codes as any underlying cause of death: X40-44, X60-64, X85, Y10-14 AND one of the following: The following ICD-10 code as any other listed cause of death: T40.1 Any cause of death text field contains the following keywords and common misspellings: heroin, morphine
OR (for cases without an X or Y code in the underlying cause of death):
3

Any cause of death text field contains the word "TOXIC" AND at least one of the following terms (or common misspelling): heroin, morphine
Drug overdose death involving fentanyl Note: polysubstance abuse deaths may also involve other opioids Any cause of death text field contains the word "TOXIC" AND at least one of the following terms (or common misspelling): fentanyl (and fentanyl analogs)
Other Definitions or Limitations
Deaths represent individual people who died in Georgia and deaths among Georgia residents outside of Georgia. Overdose death county represents the county of residence, or the place of injury (where the overdose occurred) as specified, when the place of injury field or the county of residence field was blank the county of the death certifier was used. Rate indicates the number of deaths among Georgia residents per 100,000 population using 2017 Census data as the denominator, and all rates are age-adjusted unless age category is presented. Rates for categories with fewer than 5 deaths may not be accurate and are not presented in this report.
ICD-10 Code Description
X40-X44 (accidental poisonings by drugs), X60-X64 (intentional self-poisoning by drugs), X85 (assault by drug poisoning), Y10-Y14 (drug poisoning of undetermined intent), T40.0 (opium), T40.1 (heroin), T40.2 (natural and semisynthetic opioids), T40.3 (methadone), T40.4 (synthetic opioids, other than methadone, T40.6 (other and unspecified narcotics)
Nonfatal Overdoses (Morbidity), Georgia, 2017
Data Source
Nonfatal overdose counts were derived from Georgia hospitalization and emergency department (ED) visit discharge data, and included all ED visits or hospitalizations occurring in a non-Federal acute care hospital in Georgia, among Georgia residents, with a discharge diagnosis indicating acute drug overdose during 2017.
Case Definitions (categories are not mutually exclusive)
ED visit or hospitalization involving any drug overdose May include any over-the-counter, prescription, or illicit drug Any mention of ICD-10CM codes: T36-T50 AND 6th character: 1-4, and a 7th character of A or missing ED visit or hospitalization involving any opioid overdose Includes prescription opioid pain relievers (e.g., hydrocodone, oxycodone, and morphine), opioids used to treat addiction (e.g., methadone), as well as heroin, opium, and synthetic opioids (e.g., tramadol and fentanyl that may be prescription or illicitly manufactured) Any mention of ICD-10CM codes: T40.0X, T40.1X, T40.2X, T40.3X, T40.4X, T40.60, T40.69 AND 6th character: 1-4, and a 7th character of A or missing ED visit or hospitalization involving a heroin overdose Any mention of ICD-10CM code: T40.1X AND 6th character: 1-4, and a 7th character of A or missing
4

Other Definitions or Limitations Please Note: The case definition has changed and cannot be compared to previous reports. Any opioid may include prescription or illicit opioids. ED Visits and Hospitalization categories are not mutually exclusive. Hospitalizations may also appear in the ED Visits category if they were admitted to the hospital through the ED. ED visits and hospitalizations may represent multiple visits by individuals in Georgia. County indicates the patient's county of residence. Only Black and White are indicated for race because of incomplete or sparse data on other races and ethnicities. Rate indicates the number of ED visits or hospitalizations among Georgia residents per 100,000 population using 2017 Census data as the denominator, and all rates are age-adjusted unless age category is presented. Rates for categories with fewer than 5 ED visits or hospitalizations may not be accurate and are not presented in this report. ICD-10 CM Code Description Poisoning by: T36-T50 (range includes all drugs), T40.0X (opium), T40.1X (heroin), T40.2X (other opioids), T40.3X (methadone), T40.4X (synthetic narcotics), T40.60 (unspecified narcotics), T40.69 (other narcotics) 6th Character: 1 (accidental, unintentional), 2 (intentional self-harm), 3 (assault), 4 (undetermined intent) 7th Character: A (initial encounter) or missing
5

Drug Overdose Deaths (Mortality)
Note: Any opioid may include prescription or illicit opioids. Categories are not mutually exclusive. Overdoseinvolved deaths were derived from DPH Vital Records death certificates.
The following data include deaths that occurred in Georgia regardless of the patient's residence state.

No. deaths

Drug-Involved Overdose Deaths Occurring in Georgia, by Drug Type, 2010-2017

1200 1000
800 600

Any Opioid Synthetic Opioids Heroin Fentanyl

400

200

0 2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

2017

From 2010 to 2017, the number of opioid-involved overdose deaths increased by 104% in Georgia, from 514 to 1051 deaths.
Beginning in 2013, illicit opioids, such as heroin and fentanyl, drove the sharp increase in opioidinvolved overdose deaths in GA. Note: fentanyl is included in the synthetic opioid category.

Note: The following data include all deaths that occurred in Georgia among Georgia residents and deaths that occurred outside of Georgia among Georgia residents, unless otherwise specified.

No. deaths

Drug-Involved Overdose Deaths, by Drug Type, Georgia Residents, 2016-2017

2016 2017

2000 1500 1000
500

1617 1459

904 996

378 478

214 261

363 227

0 All Drugs

Any Opioid

Synthetic Opioids

Heroin

Fentanyl

In 2017 in Georgia, overdose deaths involving fentanyl (363) were higher than deaths involving heroin (261). Note: fentanyl is included in the synthetic opioid category.

6

Drug-Involved Overdose Death Rates, by Age and Drug Type,

25.0

Georgia Residents, 2017

Deaths/ 100,000 pop.

20.0

Any Opioid

15.0 Heroin
10.0 Fentanyl
5.0

0.0 Overall <1

1-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Age Category (years)

Persons aged 25-34 years died from an opioid-, synthetic opioids-, heroin- or fentanyl-involved overdose more frequently than persons of other age categories.

Deaths/ 100,000 pop.

Drug-Involved Overdose Death Rates, by Race and Drug Type,

Georgia Residents, 2017
18.0
15.7 16.0
White Black 14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.5

3.7

4.0

2.0

1.0

0.0 Any Opioid

Heroin

Race

Whites were 4.2 times more likely to die from an opioid-involved overdose than Blacks.

7

Deaths/ 100,000 pop.

Drug-Involved Overdose Death Rates, by Sex and Drug Type, Georgia Residents, 2017

14.0 12.3
12.0
10.0

Male Female

8.0

6.9

6.0 4.1
4.0

2.0

1.1

0.0 Any Opioid

Heroin

Sex

Males were 1.8 times more likely to die from any opioid-involved overdose, and 3.7 times more likely to die from a heroin-involved overdose, than females.

Opioid-Involved Overdose Death Rates, by Age and Sex, Georgia Residents, 2017

35.0

30.0

Male

Female

25.0

20.0

15.0

10.0

5.0

0.0 Overall <1

1-4

5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+

Age Category (years)

Deaths/ 100,000 pop.

Males aged 25-34 years died from an opioid-involved overdose more frequently than persons of any other age category, and were 2.9 times more likely to die from an overdose than females of the same age.
8

Opioid-Involved Overdose Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations (Morbidity)
Note: The case definition has changed and cannot be compared to previously published reports. Any opioid may include prescription or illicit opioids. ED visits and hospitalization categories are not mutually exclusive. Hospitalizations may also appear in the ED visits category if they were admitted to the hospital through the ED (95% of opioid hospitalizations were admitted from the ED in 2017).

Opioid-Involved Overdose Involved Emergency Department Visits and Hospitalizations, by Drug Type, Georgia, 2017

Any opioid may include prescription and/or and illicit opioids; categories are not mutually exclusive

Number represents events that occurred in Georgia regardless of the patient's residence state

Number represents events that occurred in Georgia among Georgia residents

Drug Category

No.

No.

Any Opioid ED Visits Any Opioid Hospitalizations

6058 2784

5656 2622

Heroin ED Visits

1699

1521

Heroin Hospitalizations

366

335

Note: The following data include all ED visits and hospitalizations that occurred in Georgia among Georgia residents.

No. of visits or hospitalizations

Opioid-Involved Overdose Emergency Department (ED) Visits and Hospitalizations, by Drug Type, Georgia Residents, 2016-2017

6000 5000

5195

5656

Any Opioid

Heroin

4000

3000

2639

2622

2000 1000
0

1204 ED Visits 2016

1521 ED Visits 2017

306 Hospitalizations 2016

335 Hospitalizations 2017

From 2016 to 2017 in Georgia, hospitalizations for opioid-involved overdoses decreased by 1%. Hospitalizations for heroin-involved overdoses increased by 9%. ED visits for opioid- and heroininvolved overdoses increased by 9% and 26% respectively.
9

ED visits/ 100,000 pop. Total
<1 1-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Hospitalizations/ 100,000 pop. Total <1 1-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+

Opioid-Involved Overdose ED Visit Rates, by Age and Drug Type, Georgia
Residents, 2017

120.0 100.0
80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0
0.0

Any Opioid Heroin

Opioid-Involved Overdose

Hospitalization Rates by Age and Drug,

Georgia Residents, 2017
60.0

50.0

Any Opioid Heroin

40.0

30.0

20.0

10.0

0.0

Age Category (years)

Age Category (years)

Persons aged 25-34 years were more likely to visit an ED because of an opioid-involved overdose than persons of other age categories, yet older persons were more frequently hospitalized because of an opioid-involved overdose.
Heroin-involved overdoses occurred most frequently among persons aged 25-34 years, and were less common among younger and older persons.

Opioid-Invovled Overdose Emergency Department Visit and Hospitalization Rates, by Race and Drug Type, Georgia Residents,
2017

80.0

74.2

White Black

60.0

40.0

31.4

20.0

0.0 Any Opioid ED Visit

24.2 5.8
Heroin ED Visit

32.3

13.9

5.5

1.3

Any Opioid Hospitalization Heroin Hospitalization

Whites were 2.4 times more likely to visit an ED for any opioid-involved overdose, and 4.2 times more likely to visit an ED for a heroin-involved overdose than Blacks.

Visits or hospitalizations / 100,000 pop.

10

ED visits/ 100,000 pop. Total
<1 1-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+ Hospitalizations/ 100,000 pop. Total <1 1-4 5-14 15-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+

Opioid-Involved Overdose ED Visit Rates, by Age and Sex, Georgia Residents, 2017

150.0

Male Female

100.0

50.0

0.0

Opioid-Involved Overdose Hospitalization Rates by Age and Sex,
Georgia Residents, 2017
Male Female
80.0 60.0 40.0 20.0
0.0

Age Category (years)

Age Category (years)

Males aged 25-34 years visited an ED and/or died from an opioid-involved overdose more frequently than females of the same age category.
Females, particularly those aged 45 years and older, more frequently visited an ED, were more frequently hospitalized for an opioid-involved overdose than males.

11

HEROIN-INVOLVED OVERDOSES
NOTE: Rates could not be calculated for most counties due to the low number of heroin-involved overdose deaths, ED visits and hospitalizations. Therefore, the number (not rate) of overdoses are presented in this map.
12

NOTE: Rates could not be calculated for some counties due to the low number of heroin-involved overdose deaths, ED visits and hospitalizations. Therefore, the number (not rate) of overdoses are presented in this map.
13

ANY OPIOID-INVOLVED OVERDOSES
14

15

16

Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) Crime Laboratory Submissions
Crime laboratory submissions are evidence items (pills, powders, etc.) seized by law enforcement and submitted to the GBI Crime Laboratory (https://dofs-gbi.georgia.gov/) for forensic chemical identification. A case may contain one submission or several. For example, a case may consist of a single plastic bag with powder material inside, or a case may have been a result of a massive search warrant and contain many bags of powder, plus pills and liquids. Each submission that is tested is recorded and tracked. These data represent only items tested during each calendar year; these numbers may change slightly as untested items are completed.

No. of Lab Submissions

GBI Crime Lab Submissions: Heroin and Fentanyl, 2014-2017

1600 1400 1200 1000
800 600 400 200
0

1174
44 2014

Heroin

Fentanyl (including analogs)

1412

1426

66 2015

117 2016

1320
209 2017

Submissions to the GBI Crime Laboratory for Heroin and Fentanyl increased by 12.4% and 375% respectively from 2014 to 2017.

No. of Lab Submissions

GBI Crime Laboratory Submissions, Top 5 Opioids, 2014-2017

2000 1800 1600 1400 1200 1000
800 600 400 200
0

176158351829 1493
Oxycodone

2014 2015 2016 2017

1458 1501

1257

1128

1412 1426 1320
1174

Hydrocodone

Heroin

321 312 257 151
Morphine

327 277 237 139
Methadone

17

No. of Lab Submissions

GBI Crime Laboratory Submissions, Major Drugs, 2017

16000 14000 12000 10000
8000 6000 4000 2000
0

14639

6302

1966

1493

1320

1128

Oxycodone, hydrocodone, and heroin were the opioids most frequently submitted to the GBI Crime Laboratory for identification, and in the top six drugs most commonly submitted. Oxycodone and hydrocodone were also the two most frequently prescribed opioids in Georgia in 2018. (see the Georgia PDMP 2016-2017 Report available at https://dph.georgia.gov/drug-overdose-surveillanceunit).

18

Counties with the Highest Number or Rate of Any Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths, Emergency Depart (ED) Visits and Inpatient Hospitalizations -- Georgia, 2017

Number, and age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population. Note: rates could not be calculated for some counties due to the low number of any opioid-involved overdose ED visits, hospitalizations, and deaths, only counties with >15 were included in the top 10 rate ranking

Rank 1

No. deaths County of residence
Cobb (118)

No. deaths County of injury
Cobb (126)

Death rate County of residence
Banks (29.7)

No. ED visits and hospitalizations County of residence
Fulton (691)

ED visit and hospitalization rate County of residence
Atkinson (232.2)

2

Fulton (103)

Fulton (125)

Gilmer (28.4)

Cobb (643)

Bartow (167.1)

3

Gwinnett (71)

Gwinnett (64)

Lumpkin (27.4)

Gwinnett (511)

Echols (161.7)

4

DeKalb (48)

DeKalb (61)

Pickens (21.3)

DeKalb (393)

Talbot (159.1)

5

Cherokee (33)

Cherokee (34)

Bartow (20.6)

Hall (290)

Polk (157.1)

6

Richmond (28)

Carroll (22)

Tattnall (20.5)

Richmond (287)

Lumpkin (152.5)

7

Chatham (26)

Chatham (20)

Carroll (19.1)

Paulding (241)

Paulding (150.7)

8

Forsyth (24)

Hall (16)

Bryan (15.8)

Cherokee (240)

Dawson (149.9)

9

Hall (24)

Richmond (15)

Cobb (15.1)

Chatham (199)

Banks (148.4)

10

Henry (23)

Bibb (14)

Glynn (14.5)

Bartow (193)

White (144.3)

19

Note: The following data include deaths that occurred in Georgia regardless of the patient's residence state.

Drug Overdose Deaths (Mortality) -- Georgia, 20102017

Any opioid may include prescription and/or illicit opioids; categories are not mutually exclusive Number represents events that occurred in Georgia regardless of the patient's residence state

Year

Any Drug No.

Any Opioid No.

Synthetic Opioids
No.

Heroin No.

Fentanyl No.

2017

1591

1051

506

284

381

2016

1436

954

399

228

245

2015

1364

901

411

252

255

2014

1041

637

164

236

138

2013

1113

556

82

131

52

2012

1066

554

65

106

48

2011

1042

519

84

29

N/A

2010

1059

514

102

4

N/A

Drug Overdose Emergency Department (ED) Visits and Hospitalizations (Morbidity) -- Georgia Residents, 2016-2017

Number, and age-adjusted rate per 100,000 population Any opioid may include prescription and/or illicit opioids; categories are not mutually exclusive

Year

Any Opioid

ED Visits

Hospitalizations

No.

Rate

No.

Rate

Heroin

ED Visits

Hospitalizations

No.

Rate

No.

Rate

2017

5656

52.6

2622

23.5

1521

14.9

335

3.3

2016

5195

48.9

2639

24.3

1204

11.8

306

3.0

20

Opioid Related Overdose Morbidity and Mortality -- Georgia Residents, 2017 (for emergency department (ED) visits, inpatient hospitalizations, and deaths)
Number and rate per 100,000 population (rate is age-adjusted except when age categories are presented) Any opioid may include prescription and/or illicit opioids; categories are not mutually exclusive
Any Opioid

ED Visits

Hospitalizations

Deaths

No.

Rate

No.

Rate

No.

Rate

Total

5656

52.6

2622

23.5

996

9.5

Age group

<1 year

8

6.3

1

N/A

0

N/A

1-4 years

55

10.4

12

2.3

0

N/A

5 -14 years

23

1.6

9

0.6

1

N/A

15-24 years

497

34.4

123

8.5

64

4.4

25-34 years

1202

81.6

335

22.7

220

14.9

35-44 years

763

55.6

286

20.8

225

16.4

45-54 years

733

51.9

394

27.9

171

12.1

55-64 years

902

70.2

594

46.2

135

10.5

65-74 years

559

62.4

407

45.5

49

5.5

75-84 years

203

48.5

146

34.9

3

N/A

85+ years

69

47.1

38

25.9

5

3.4

Sex (age group)

Male

2465

47.3

985

18.5

559

11.0

<1 year

5

7.7

1

N/A

0

N/A

1-4 years

28

10.4

9

3.3

0

N/A

5-14 years

6

0.8

3

N/A

0

N/A

15-24 years

278

37.8

74

10.1

49

6.7

25-34 years

775

106.1

206

28.2

168

23.0

35-44 years

404

61.0

145

21.9

139

21.0

45-54 years

297

43.3

135

19.7

99

14.4

55-64 years

375

61.4

215

35.2

74

12.1

65-74 years

206

50.5

141

34.6

26

6.4

75-84 years

66

36.8

44

24.5

1

N/A

85+ years

25

50.6

12

24.3

3

N/A

Female

2546

44.2

1359

22.4

314

5.7

<1 year

3

N/A

0

N/A

0

N/A

1-4 years

27

10.4

3

N/A

0

N/A

5-14 years

17

2.5

6

0.9

1

N/A

15-24 years

219

30.8

49

6.9

15

2.1

25-34 years

427

57.5

129

17.4

52

7.0

35-44 years

359

50.5

141

19.8

86

12.1

45-54 years

436

60.1

259

35.7

72

9.9

55-64 years

527

78.1

379

56.2

61

9.0

21

65-74 years

353

72.4

266

54.5

23

4.7

75-84 years

137

57.3

102

42.7

2

N/A

85+ years

41

42.2

25

25.7

2

N/A

Race

White

3842

65.5

1837

28.4

729

13.5

Black

906

26.6

339

11.7

130

3.9

22

Opioid Overdose Surveillance and Response Information/Resources
To report an increase in overdoses, a potential overdose cluster, or any other unusual drug-related event, call the Georgia Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222.
Please see https://dph.georgia.gov/stopopioidaddiction for more information on how the Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH) is working to combat the opioid epidemic, including:
Opioid and substance misuse response: https://dph.georgia.gov/georgias-opioid-response Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP): https://dph.georgia.gov/pdmp Drug Surveillance Unit: https://dph.georgia.gov/drug-surveillance-unit Please see https://dph.georgia.gov/opioid-epidemic-individuals-and-families for information on the opioid epidemic for individuals and families, including:
Addiction prevention Drug take-back Signs of an overdose and steps to take Naloxone information Georgia's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Georgia's Medical Amnesty Law Harm reduction Neo-natal abstinence syndrome Treatment resources Please see https://dph.georgia.gov/opioid-epidemic-medical-providers-and-pharmacists for information on the opioid epidemic for medical providers and pharmacists, including:
Steps providers can take to help prevent opioid misuse and addiction in their patients Prescribing guidelines Georgia's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Georgia's Naloxone Standing Order Georgia's Medical Amnesty Law Please see https://dph.georgia.gov/opioid-epidemic-first-responders-and-ems for information on the opioid epidemic for Law Enforcement and EMS, including:
Georgia's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) Responder safety Georgia's Medical Amnesty Law Georgia's Naloxone Standing Order Naloxone administration Case documentation guidelines
Georgia Department of Public Health (DPH), Epidemiology Section, Drug Surveillance Unit https://dph.georgia.gov/drug-surveillance-unit
23