Australia is grappling with a persistent and shifting drug overdose crisis, as revealed by the Penington Institute’s Annual Overdose Report 2025, released on August 30, 2025. The report paints a sobering picture: 2,272 Australians died from drug overdoses in 2023, averaging six deaths every single day. While this figure marks a slight decline from the peak in the late 2010s, it remains alarmingly high—representing the tenth consecutive year with more than 2,000 fatalities. Drug-induced deaths have solidified their place as a leading cause of mortality across most adult age categories in the country.
Dr. Jake Dizard, director of research at the Penington Institute, didn’t mince words about the significance of these numbers. 22There27s been a decline [in overdose deaths] since the peak in the late 2010s, but this is still the tenth straight year with over 2,000 Australians dead. It27s still vastly elevated compared to 2001,22 he said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald. Dizard emphasized that these deaths are not inevitable, noting, 22These deaths are preventable. If you look at things like the road toll, there27s Vision Zero [a push for zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050] and a national road safety strategy. We don27t have that for drugs.22
The most striking trend in the report is the demographic shift in overdose victims. At the turn of the century, Australians under 40 accounted for about half of all fatal overdoses. Today, this age group represents just a quarter of such deaths. Instead, the crisis has surged among older Australians. Since 2001, overdose deaths have skyrocketed by 305% among those aged 50-59, 179% for the 60-69 age group, and 153% for people aged 40-49. The reasons for this are multifaceted, but Dizard points to the aging population of regular drug users from the 1990s and 2000s, as well as a notable rise in prescriptions for antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids over the past two decades.
“Overall, there’s a very significant rise in the number of prescriptions across lots of different types of drug groups, and that does correlate with that rise in deaths, including in older people,” Dizard explained. The report found that in 2023, alcohol contributed to 18.4% of unintentional drug-induced deaths, while antidepressants were involved in 16.9%. Although 3.7 million Australians were prescribed antidepressants in 2022-2023, only a small fraction of unintentional overdose deaths involved antidepressants as the sole drug consumed. Still, the combination of multiple substances remains a major risk factor.
Stimulants such as amphetamines and MDMA have now overtaken benzodiazepines as the second most common drug group implicated in unintentional overdose deaths, accounting for a third of fatal cases in 2023. However, opioids—long the primary culprit—remain the single biggest driver of overdose deaths. The report also highlights the disproportionate impact on certain groups: men, people facing social and economic disadvantage, Indigenous Australians, and residents of rural or regional areas all face higher rates of drug-induced death.
The Penington Institute is calling for sweeping changes, including the establishment of a national body with a mandate to eliminate drug overdoses, the legalization of cannabis, and a shift in funding from what it calls “ineffective law enforcement” to drug education and overdose prevention. The Institute’s stance is clear: current strategies are not enough to stem the tide, and a new, coordinated approach is desperately needed.
Government responses to the crisis have been varied. The federal government claims it is making “substantial investment into a broad range of programs and activities aimed at minimising the harms associated with alcohol and other drug use in Australia,” as reported by The Age. This includes listing opioid dependence treatment medicines on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, a move designed to improve access to lifesaving therapies. According to a report by the Drug Policy Modelling Program, Australian governments spend about $5.45 billion on proactive responses to illicit drugs, with $3.5 billion allocated to law enforcement measures such as border control, policing, prosecutions, and community corrections.
State governments are also taking action. The Victorian government is implementing harm reduction initiatives including pill testing, naloxone vending machines, and expanded access to pharmacotherapy. A spokesperson for the Victorian government stated, “We are reducing drug harms in our community through pill testing, naloxone vending machines and expanding access to pharmacotherapy.” They also revealed plans for a statewide overdose prevention and response helpline trial and the installation of 20 naloxone-dispensing machines in high-risk areas.
Meanwhile, advocates are pushing for even more robust measures. Alice Salomon, head of advocacy at Uniting NSW.ACT—which operates Sydney’s medically supervised injecting centre—urged the New South Wales government to improve diversion programs, equip police with naloxone, and permit more communities to apply for supervised injecting facilities. These calls reflect a growing sense of urgency among public health professionals and community leaders, who argue that targeted interventions can save lives.
Australia’s overdose crisis is not occurring in isolation. Internationally, the opioid epidemic has prompted significant legislative responses. For example, on July 16, 2021, then-President Trump signed the “Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act” in the United States, strengthening prison sentences for fentanyl traffickers, according to AFP. While Australia’s policy landscape differs, the global context underscores the scale and complexity of the challenge.
One persistent theme in the Australian debate is the allocation of resources. Critics argue that the lion’s share of government spending still goes to law enforcement rather than prevention and harm reduction. The Penington Institute and other advocates contend that redirecting funds toward education, treatment, and support services could yield better outcomes. Supporters of the current approach, however, maintain that strong border controls and policing are essential to stem the flow of illicit drugs into the country.
Looking ahead, the road to reducing overdose deaths in Australia will require a delicate balance of public health strategies, community engagement, and political will. The data is clear: while progress has been made in reducing overdose deaths among younger Australians—thanks in part to pill-testing, naloxone distribution, and increased access to opioid dependence treatment—the crisis among older adults continues to escalate. As policymakers, advocates, and affected families grapple with the consequences, the push for a national, coordinated response is growing louder.
With more than 2,000 Australians still dying each year from preventable overdoses, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The next chapter in this ongoing battle will depend on whether Australia can muster the resolve to treat drug-induced deaths with the same urgency and coordination as other public health threats.
