Two Sydney men dead after overdosing, bad batch being investigated

Two men have died in suspected overdoses in Surry Hills, with investigations now under way to determine whether a “bad batch” of drugs led to their deaths.

Two men have died in suspected overdoses in Surry Hills, with investigations now under way to determine whether a “bad batch” of drugs led to their deaths.

The men, aged 25 and 36, were found unresponsive at unit block on Devonshire Street in Surry Hills around 6.30pm on Wednesday.

The men were discovered near a daycare centre, with both NSW Police and NSW Ambulance rushing to the men’s aid, however they could not be revived.

The Telegraph understands drug paraphernalia, including needles, were found near the men, and both of them had a history of drug use.

“At this time, the incident is not believed to be suspicious,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.

“Reports are being prepared for the information of the Coroner.”

However, it’s understood investigations and toxicology are now under way to determine whether the overdoses were the result of a bad batch of drugs.

There have been several bad and high-potency batches of drugs that have led to overdoses and deaths in NSW in recent months.

It’s understood bad batches of drugs have been linked to four additional deaths in NSW since December last year.

In August last year, Dunka Raymond Caldwell – known on TikTok and Instagram as ‘Humdinger’ – and Angel Mounce-Stephens, who also went by the name Angela Yazgan, both died after overdosing on heroin they believed to be cocaine.

Dunka Caldwell.

Angela Yazgan.

The pair had consumed the drugs at a party in Glebe, with two others also hospitalised after consuming the drugs.

In December, another three people overdosed, causing one of them to die, after their cocaine was laced with bromazolam, a type of benzodiazepine with strong, sometimes sedative or hallucinogenic effects.

Another warning was issued four months ago, after several people suffered severe opioid overdoses after taking what they believed to be oxycodone tablets, which were in fact nitazenes.

At the time, NSW Health said nitazenes had been detected in fake tablets, such as oxycodone and benzodiazepines, and in drugs thought to be heroin or MDMA.

“Nitazenes are extremely potent and can vary widely in their strength,” NSW Poisons Information Centre Medical Director Dr Darren Roberts said at the time.

“As they are illicit and unregulated, there is no way of knowing what type of nitazene is present or what dosage is being taken. The strength and contents can vary widely, even within the same batch.

“It is extremely important that people recognise the signs of an opioid overdose, signs to look for include pinpoint pupils, drowsiness, loss of consciousness, slowed breathing/snoring, and skin turning blue/grey.”

The most recent data from NSW Health Stats showed that in 2022, there were 816 NSW residents who died with drug use as an underlying or contributing cause of death. Opioids accounted for the largest proportion of drug-induced deaths in 2022 – totalling 212 deaths.