Overdose in Australia
What You Should Know

Public health information: patient resource

Dr Basanth Kenchaiah FRANZCP, Cert. Addiction Psych.
General Adult & Addiction Psychiatrist
Delmont Consulting Suites
314 Warrigal Road, Glen Iris VIC 3146
Tel: 03 9834 3600

This sheet summarises current data on drug-related overdose deaths in Australia and Victoria. It aims to help patients and families understand the scale of the issue, the drugs most commonly involved, and what can be done to reduce risk. Statistics are updated annually from the Penington Institute's national overdose report and the Coroners Court of Victoria's overdose deaths report.

The scale of the problem

In 2024, 584 Victorians died from drug overdose, a 10-year high. Across 2015–2024, almost 75% of Victorian overdose deaths were accidental, meaning they were not the result of intentional self-harm.

Nationally, 2,596 Australians died from drug-induced causes in 2024, almost double the 1,307 deaths on the roads, and more than 2,000 of these deaths were unintentional. Yet overdose receives a fraction of the public attention and road-safety-style prevention investment.

Which drugs are most commonly involved?

The five drugs most frequently implicated in Victorian overdose deaths in 2024 were:

Heroin: 248 deaths
Diazepam: 219 deaths
Methamphetamine: 215 deaths
Alcohol: 141 deaths
Pregabalin: 92 deaths

Prescribed medications, particularly opioids and benzodiazepines, feature prominently in these figures. This highlights the importance of safe prescribing, regular medication review, and open conversation between patients and their prescribers about risk.

Who is at risk?

Anyone taking opioids, benzodiazepines, or other sedating medications carries some level of risk, particularly when these are combined. Risk is significantly higher when:

Multiple sedating substances are used together (e.g. opioids with benzodiazepines, alcohol, or pregabalin)
Tolerance is reduced: for example after a period of abstinence, hospital discharge, or dose reduction
Medications are not stored securely, increasing access by others
Use is unsupervised or occurs in isolation

An important point about tolerance: After a period without opioids, including a hospital admission, a period of abstinence, or a dose reduction, the body's tolerance drops significantly. Returning to a previous dose can be fatal. This is one of the most common circumstances in which fatal overdose occurs.

Recognising an overdose

If you are with someone who may have overdosed, look for these signs:

Unresponsive or cannot be woken
Slow, shallow, or stopped breathing
Blue or grey lips or fingertips
Gurgling or snoring sounds
Limp body
Pinpoint (very small) pupils

If you see these signs: call 000 immediately. Do not leave the person alone.

What to do

Call 000: tell the operator you think someone has overdosed.
Place the person in the recovery position if they are breathing: on their side, with their airway open.
Administer naloxone if available and the overdose involves opioids: naloxone (Nyxoid® nasal spray) is available without a prescription from many Australian pharmacies. Follow the instructions on the pack.
Stay until the ambulance arrives: do not leave the person alone.

Helping in an emergency: Victoria's Good Samaritan law (section 31B of the Wrongs Act 1958) protects a person who helps in an emergency in good faith, and expects no payment, from being sued for what they do or do not do. The Victorian Department of Health advises that this would likely apply to giving naloxone, and that anyone can give it by following the instructions on the pack. If you think someone has overdosed, call 000.

Naloxone: the opioid antidote

Naloxone (Nyxoid®) is a fast-acting medication that reverses opioid overdose. It works within minutes, is safe to use, and cannot cause harm if opioids are not involved.

Naloxone is now available over the counter at most Australian pharmacies without a prescription. If you or someone close to you is prescribed opioids, consider keeping naloxone at home and ensuring those around you know how to use it.

In Victoria, naloxone is free for anyone who may witness an overdose, from 24/7 naloxone dispensing machines, participating community pharmacies (with or without a prescription), Needle and Syringe Programs and Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals.

Speak with Dr Kenchaiah or your pharmacist for more information about obtaining and using naloxone.

Prevention and harm reduction

Never mix opioids or benzodiazepines with alcohol or other sedating drugs.
Store medications securely and in original packaging, away from children and others.
Take medications exactly as prescribed; do not increase doses without medical guidance.
Return unused or expired medications to a pharmacy via the RUM Program (Return Unwanted Medicines).
If dependence is a concern, early discussion with your doctor leads to better outcomes. There is no benefit in waiting.

This sheet uses the most recently available data. National statistics are from the Penington Institute's Australia's Annual Overdose Report 2026; Victorian statistics are from the Coroners Court of Victoria's Victorian Overdose Deaths 2015–2024 (August 2025). If newer reports have been published, this sheet may be updated. Check the Penington Institute website for the latest national figures: penington.org.au

National statistics: Penington Institute. Australia's Annual Overdose Report 2026. Available at penington.org.au. Victorian statistics: Coroners Court of Victoria. Victorian Overdose Deaths 2015–2024. August 2025. Available at coronerscourt.vic.gov.au. Good Samaritan protection: Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic), Part VIA, s.31B. Naloxone administration: Victorian Department of Health, Naloxone administration by workers responding to opioid overdose in Health and Community Services (2025). Free naloxone in Victoria: Victorian Department of Health, Take-Home Naloxone Program: health.vic.gov.au.