Five years ago, Zack Elliott was at the forefront of an epidemic.

At 21 years old, Elliott died of a heroin overdose in May 2011. A guitar player and classical pianist, he was one of 19 people in Fulton County to die from the drug that year.

Since then, the numbers have only risen, and there were more heroin-related deaths in Fulton in 2015 than anywhere else in the state — last year, 104 people died in Fulton from using the opiates heroin or fentanyl.

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The city of Brookhaven's mayor and City Council last week decided to remove the colored panes of glass from the dome of Brookhaven's new City Centre after residents objected to the brightness of the colors, seen here Friday, June 27, 2025. (Reed Williams/AJC)

Credit: Reed Williams/AJC