This map tells you where Georgians are dying of drug overdoses
Today's news that a law enforcement source confirmed that music legend Prince died of an opioid overdose is even more evidence that he fell victim to what the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling a prescription drug abuse epidemic.
Nationally, more people died of drug overdoses in 2014 than in any other year on record, according to the CDC, and a majority of those deaths involved an opioid. Prescription drug abuse has fueled the rise in deaths during the past 15 years, and Georgia is no exception. In January, Jonesboro psychiatrist Dr. Narendra Nagareddy was arrested after prosecutors tied him to the deaths of 36 patients involving prescription drug overdoses. Nagareddy is now facing murder charges.
Here is a
of where Georgians are dying of drug overdoses, including opioid deaths. Some of the
are in rural areas outside the Atlanta metro area.
About the Author
Willoughby Mariano is an investigative reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, where she focuses on housing and criminal justice issues. She previously worked for the AJC's PolitiFact Georgia, where she fact checked the claims of elected officials, and at the Orlando Sentinel, where she covered crime and breaking news.
