Deadly trend on the rise in major state

Yahoo

12 hours ago

Victoria has been rocked by the highest number of fatal overdoses in a decade, with nearly 600 residents dying from drug overdoses last year alone.
Ten years ago, illicit drugs contributed to less than half of all overdose deaths. In 2024, the Coroners Court found this figure increased to 65.6 per cent.
It's a figure increasing yearly, with 584 Victorian residents dying from drug overdoses in 2024, up from 547 the year before and 552 in 2022.
Heroin contributed to 248 deaths in the state, and 215 deaths were related to methamphetamine – a stat that has tripled since 2015.
The majority of all overdose deaths occurred in metropolitan Melbourne, with about 75 per cent being unintentional.
Monash University Associate Professor Shalini Arunogiri told NewsWire the bleak new figures were a reminder of the lack of treatment available for opioid addictions.
'Each of these 584 deaths represents a life lost unnecessarily,' she said.
'Behind every statistic is someone's loved one, a friend, a sibling, a parent.'
Worryingly, the majority of the fatal overdoses were men, who made up two-thirds of total deaths over the past decade.
Ms Arunogiri said there was a 'strong connection' between drug abuse and mental health, especially if people lacked access to mental health support and effective treatment and instead turned to substances as their 'only available relief'.
'People often turn to substances as a way of coping with untreated trauma, anxiety, depression or other psychological distress,' she said.
'This is why integrated care that treats both mental health and substance use is so important.'
The increase in fatal heroin and methamphetamine overdoses was 'particularly concerning', Ms Arunogiri said, as harm reduction methods were available to prevent further deaths.
'The positive here is that solutions do exist, we just need to implement what works,' she said.
'Expanding medication-assisted treatment for opioid addiction must be a priority, given heroin's role as the top contributor.'
Ms Arunogiri said lifesaving medications needed to be provided at a faster rate to prevent overdoses.
'Medications like methadone and buprenorphine can reduce the risk of overdose, but people often face long waits for care,' she said.
'Effective measures like drug checking and expanding access to opioid overdose reversal medications, such as naloxone, is also critical.'
Penington Institute chief executive John Ryan said 'too many Australians are dying from preventable drug overdoses' and argued governments were '(refusing) to fully embrace measures to drive down this horrific toll'.
'We're still not spending enough money on proven harm reduction initiatives like drug testing, supervised injecting, community education and the wide provision of the anti-overdose drug naloxone,' he said.
In May, the Victorian government introduced its take-home naloxone program, which was expanded across 50 needle and syringe program providers, including over the counter at pharmacies, at the Medically Supervised Injecting Room and via prescription to expand access to the medication.
Make an appointment with a GP or a mental health professional or get in touch with a drug support service.
ReachOut: au.reachout.com to learn more about drug and alcohol addiction, for peer support and for pathways to other support services.
Alcohol and Drug Foundation: www.adf.org.au or phone [phone]
DirectLine: www.directline.org.au24-hour confidential drug and alcohol telephone counselling, information and referral, 1800 888 236
Self Help Addiction Resource Centre (SHARC): www.sharc.org.au, 1300 660 068
For support for people concerned about a relative or friend using drugs
Kids Helpline (24 hours a day, 7 days a week): confidential and private counselling service for children and young people (5-25 years). www.kidshelpline.com.au, 1800 55 1800
Youth Support and Advocacy Service (YSAS): for people aged between 12-21 who are experiencing problems related to alcohol and other drugs. www.ysas.org.au, 1800 458 685
Headspace: headspace.org.au
Ms Arunogiri said these were 'important steps' to preventing further harm.
'These evidence-based interventions are crucial, but we need further investment to make sure everyone can access the health care they need,' she said.
'The most devastating thing is that we know these deaths were preventable.
'We understand what works – effective medications, harm reduction services, early intervention, but we need to remove the barriers that keep people from accessing the healthcare we all deserve.'