Fatal fentanyl overdoses rise as Australians turn to more potent painkillers
Eightfold increase in fentanyl-related deaths prompts calls for drug addiction to be treated as a health issue rather than a supply problem
Thursday, August 31, 2017
Concerns are growing that more Australians addicted to pharmaceutical painkillers are turning to highly potent forms of opioids, such as fentanyl. A new report released by the Penington Institute reveals a significant increase in fatal accidental overdoses because of fentanyl, pethidine and tramadol. Unless the national approach to drug addiction changes to a health issue rather than a supply problem, more lives will be lost, warned John Ryan, chief executive officer at the Penington Institute. During 2011-2015, 3,601 people died from an opioid-related overdose – a nearly twofold increase from 2001-2005, according to the report.