New Georgia Study Reveals Key Risk Factors Driving Fentanyl Deaths

ATLANTA, Oct. 6, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- A new Georgia study analyzing nearly 2,000 fentanyl-related overdose deaths has identified homelessness and alcohol use as key risk factors that significantly increase the likelihood of fatal overdoses among Black and White populations; findings that could help target life-saving interventions in communities hardest hit by the ongoing opioid crisis according to Walden University.

The research comes as Georgia faces a 61.9% surge in drug overdose deaths between 2019 and 2021, with both White residents (60% increase) and African Americans (65% increase) experiencing devastating losses amplified by pandemic isolation and fentanyl-contaminated street drugs.

In the study, The Influence of Sociodemographic Factors on Opioid Mortalities in the U.S. State of Georgia, addresses gaps in understanding how racial disparities and social factors contribute to drug-related deaths across the state. The research employed multiple statistical methodologies to validate its findings, including descriptive analysis, chi-square testing, binary logistic regression, and factor analysis, providing robust insights into the complex relationships between demographic characteristics and opioid mortality rates in Georgia. The study also found that educational attainment was not a statistical predictor of fentanyl-related deaths.

The four-year study was conducted by the leading expert in sociodemographic opioid mortalities, Dr. Theresa Highsmith, Public Health Scientist and Environmental Health Leader for the State of Georgia Health Department. Dr. Highsmith stated that "health experts and policy makers can now think and act beyond the normal rationale based on this new research."

The study found by examining these contextual elements through comprehensive statistical validation, the research offers valuable evidence that could inform targeted public health interventions and policy decisions, providing policymakers and healthcare professionals with data-driven insights to better address this public health emergency and understand the multifaceted nature of opioid-related deaths and their relationship to social determinants of health across the state.

This research equips public health officials with actionable intervention priorities by pinpointing homelessness and alcohol use as significant risk factors driving Georgia's 60% surge in overdose deaths. "This research moves us beyond one-size-fits-all approaches to overdose prevention," said Dr. Highsmith, noting the study's data-driven insights offer a roadmap for allocating resources to achieve maximum impact in vulnerable communities. The methodology provides a replicable framework for other states, offering public health approaches that can begin to solve the nation's deadliest drug crisis.

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SOURCE Walden University