Total mortality showed no association with coffee usage in the four race-sex groups of Evans County, Georgia. Deaths of coronary heart disease (CHD) in white men and women and black men showed no statistically significant difference between high and low coffee consumers. In an area that has been designated as the "Stroke Belt," neither CHD nor cerebrovascular death rates seem related to coffee-drinking habits. However, to refute or confirm the allegations of a detrimental influence of high coffee intake, larger samples are needed. Nevertheless, our finding that mortality from all causes is not increased in the high coffee-consuming group means that a finding of increased CHD mortality with high coffee consumption would have to be compensated by a protective lower rate for other causes of death.