Opioid Abuse

In October 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared the opioid crisis a national public health emergency. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 107,000 people in the U.S. died of a drug overdose in 2023, with roughly 75 percent of those deaths involving opioids. 

Opioid Abuse in Georgia

No Georgia community is a stranger to the devastating effects of the opioid crisis. According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, the total number of opioid-involved overdose deaths in Georgia increased by 302 percent from 2010 to 2022. 

Opioids, specifically fentanyl, appear to be driving these increases. From 2019 to 2022, fentanyl-involved overdose deaths in Georgia increased by 308 percent. That's 1,601 lives lost in one year alone.

Statewide Opioid Task Force

Since first taking office in 2016, Attorney General Chris Carr has continued to prioritize efforts to combat the opioid epidemic and the widespread damage it's caused.

In 2017, he created the Statewide Opioid Task Force to provide an infrastructure of communication between the public, private and non-profit sectors, so we can ensure we have strong and effective tools to address this critical issue that's plaguing every one of our communities.

Today, the Statewide Opioid Task Force includes more than 300 partners across all areas of expertise who are working together to save lives.

We will continue fighting until there are no more deaths, no more tears, and no more heartache as a result of the opioid epidemic.

National Opioid Settlements

Attorney General Chris Carr is committed to holding accountable those who have played a critical role in contributing to the opioid crisis.

By joining several national settlements with opioid manufacturers, distributors and retail pharmacies, Carr has been able to secure more than one billion dollars for our state and local governments to expand access to critical treatment, prevention, and recovery services.

The funds will be received and distributed over time. 

Additional information about the national opioid settlements can be found here.

Many of the funds received from the opioid settlements are administered through the Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust. Additional information about the Trust can be found here.