Traditionally, Atlanta has had the highest rates of methamphetamine use than any other major US city east of the Mississippi River.
In 2016, there were 379 deaths where methamphetamine was present at the time of death, compared to 285 in 2015.5
In 2017, the top drugs found in decedents in the George Medical Examiner’s reports were alprazolam (576), methamphetamine (479), and oxycodone (469).6
The number of statewide decedents who tested positive for methamphetamine at the time of death reached an all-time high in 2018 with 614 deaths. According to reports, Atlanta’s methamphetamine supply was being mixed with increasing amounts of fentanyl, an addition that can be dangerously undetected.7
In 2019, the number of deaths involving methamphetamines dropped by 10.1%.8