Australian drug overdose deaths hit record-high in 2024

The number of Australian deaths from drug overdoses hit a record high in 2024, according to a report published on Tuesday.



The latest annual report from the Penington Institute, a Sydney-based independent drug policy research group, revealed that 2,596 people died from overdoses in 2024, the equivalent of seven deaths every day on average.



It represents an increase of 10.7 percent from the 2,345 deaths recorded in 2023 and the highest number on record.



Of the 2,596 drug-induced deaths in 2024, the report said that 2,091 were unintentional, a 15.1 percent increase year-on-year.



John Ryan, chief executive officer of the Penington Institute, said in a media release that Australia's overdose crisis is "deepening" because the country is too reliant on punitive responses rather than measures that save lives.



The report noted that males accounted for 1,520 unintentional drug-induced deaths compared to 571 females and that people aged 50-59 were the age group with the most unintentional deaths.