Synthetic drug deaths spike, heroin deaths fall during pandemic

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The number of overdose deaths related to dangerous synthetic drugs which mimic the effects of “classic” illegal substances spiked dramatically in Victoria last year, while deaths involving cocaine and MDMA reached a 10-year high.

Heroin-related deaths, however, fell to the lowest number since 2015, as the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the drug market and availability changed patterns of consumption, while pharmaceuticals remained the most frequent contributor to overdose deaths.released by the Coroners Court of Victoria on Thursday revealed there were 526 overdose deaths in the state last year, an increase of 10 from the year before.

deaths in Victoria, and overdose death is only one measure among many of the burden of drug-related harms,” the report found. “That’s legal substances. We focus on illicit substances constantly yet the ones prescribed by doctors, made available by hospitals, you can purchase in the pharmacy, they’re the ones that are killing most Victorians,” he said.There were 187 deaths involving heroin last year, down from 212 the year before. The last time it was this low was in 2015 when there were 171 overdoses related to heroin.

Synthetic drugs, or “new psychoactive substances” , which are manufactured to mimic the effects of “classic” drugs like cannabis and cocaine, contributed to more deaths in 2020 than in any previous year: 33 deaths last year, compared to 17 the year before.

 

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