Please note: More recent estimates have been published and are available here.

Each year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) makes available to Drug Trends in-depth data on drug-induced deaths in Australia. This year, we have produced a suite of products to summarise trends in opioid-, amphetamine-, and cocaine-induced deaths in Australia from 1997 to 2016.

Our new and unique online interactive data visualisation tool allows you to view, disaggregate and download trends over time by drug, intent (e.g., accidental versus intentional), age group, sex and jurisdiction.

We have supplemented the data visualisations with:

A bulletin summarising key findings;
A PowerPoint slide deck comprising key figures that display trends of interest;
Methods document highlighting approaches to collating and presenting estimates;
A short guide on how to navigate the visualisations.

Reporting has changed from previous years, and now includes deaths of accidental, intentional and undetermined intent.

We also present unique data on drug-induced deaths attributed to pharmaceutical opioids versus heroin, and on the presence of other drugs (e.g., benzodiazepines, alcohol) in opioid-induced deaths.

Data Source

These data are provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) from their cause of death collection. The data have been analysed and presented by Drug Trends at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW.

Latest release date

August 2018

Use of the data

Please note that any presentation of these data should include acknowledgment of Drug Trends at the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre: University of New South Wales.

Citation: Roxburgh, A., Dobbins, T., Degenhardt, L., and Peacock, A. (2018). Opioid, Amphetamine, and Cocaine-Induced Deaths in Australia: August 2018: Sydney, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales.

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