New data from the Penington Institute reveals a troubling trend: while drug-related deaths among young Australians have declined, fatal overdoses among older adults are climbing.
The Age highlights a troubling shift in drug-related deaths in Australia. While overdose deaths among young people have declined, the number of fatal overdoses among older adults is climbing.
Penington Institute’s Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2025 shows that 2,272 people died of a drug overdose in 2023 – an average of six people a day. Seventy-eight per cent of these deaths were unintentional.
There’s been a decline [in overdose deaths] since the peak in the late 2010s, but this is still the tenth straight year with over 2000 Australians dead. It’s still vastly elevated compared to 2001.
The report shows that while people under 40 once accounted for about half of overdose deaths, they now make up just a quarter. Older age groups have seen dramatic increases: unintentional deaths among 50–59-year-olds rose 305%, among 60–69-year-olds rose 179%, and among 40–49-year-olds rose 153% compared to 2001 figures.
These deaths are preventable. If you look at things like the road toll, there’s Vision Zero [a push for zero deaths and serious injuries by 2050] and a national road safety strategy. We don’t have that for drugs.
Dr Dizard said the rise in overdoses among older adults is partly due to the ageing of people who became regular drug users in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as a sharp increase in prescriptions for drugs such as opioids, antidepressants, and benzodiazepines.
The report also highlights the complexity of overdose deaths. Many involve multiple substances, including alcohol, which contributed to 18.4% of unintentional drug-induced deaths in 2023, while antidepressants contributed to 16.9%. Stimulants such as amphetamines and MDMA have overtaken benzodiazepines as the second most common drugs involved in fatal overdoses, contributing to a third of deaths. Opioids remain the single biggest driver of fatalities.
Drug overdoses were found to be much more common among men, disadvantaged people, and Indigenous Australians.
Penington Institute supports the establishment of a national body to eliminate drug overdoses, the legalisation of cannabis, and a shift in funding from “ineffective law enforcement” to drug education and overdose prevention.
This coverage is based on reporting by The Age and the Penington Institute’s Australia’s Annual Overdose Report 2025.