Coroner’s data shows alcohol and opioids are biggest cause of drug-related deaths

New data lays bare the silent killer that is claiming the lives of almost 60 Australians every week. See what is it.

Almost 60 Australians are dying from drug related deaths every week — and alcohol and opioids are the biggest killers.

New data lays bare the extent of the country’s drug problem, that is not only claiming 3046 lives a year – or 59 a week – but nearly half of them (44.8 per cent) among people aged between 35 and 54.

The latest National Coronial Information System (NCIS) mortality data released on Wednesday revealed more males died from drugs than women, with the Northern Territory having more than twice the national rate at 29.5 deaths per 100,000 (compared to 11.9 deaths per 100,000 nationwide).

Alcohol was a primary (649 deaths) and secondary contributor (855 deaths) to most fatalities, but opioids were deadlier as a primary contributor, with 1107 deaths.

Next were benzodiazepines (960 deaths), amphetamines (543 deaths) and cocaine (93 deaths).

Alcohol is the leading cause of drug related deaths.

The 2020 NCIS figures show there were 8543 injury deaths in 2020, which equates to an average 164 deaths per week. Injury victims contributed to 41.1 per cent of all reported deaths.

They are recorded this way when the victim is killed by some form of external factor, such as a car crash, drowning or drug overdose.

They occurred in a higher proportion of males than females with just over 60 per cent of injury-related deaths being unintentional.

Despite a large number of assaults in Australia, slightly more than one per cent of total intentional deaths turned fatal.

Opioids are the second major contributor to drug deaths in Australia.

People aged over 65 made up 39 per cent of injury deaths, with falls being the leading cause of death. Firearms related deaths also increased with age, with 38 per cent of deaths in that category falling in the over 65 age bracket, compared to 25 per cent for people aged 25-44.

Almost all firearms deaths were males, at 93.1 per cent.

However, people aged 25-44 fared worse on the roads, accounting for 36.1 per cent of car crash deaths.

Rates of injury deaths were highest in Tasmania, at 51.6 deaths per 100,000.

New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory and Queensland were lower than the national rate of 33.3 deaths per 100,000.

A third of injury deaths, 32.2 per cent, were classified as intentional self-harm. Of those 2753 deaths an average of 53 each week were occurring each week, more than a third of them in the 25-44 age bracket.

The national rate of intentional self-harm deaths was 10.7 per 100,000 population

The Northern Territory had the highest rate at 17.4 deaths per 100,000, and the lowest occurred in Victoria at 7.1 deaths per 100,000.

Originally published as Coroner’s data shows alcohol and opioids are biggest cause of drug-related deaths