17/06/2026
A preliminary analysis by the non-profit drug policy research group Pennington Institute found some 2,596 Australian died from drug-induced causes in 2024 — what it has described as the "deadliest year on record" for overdoses.
Some 2,091 deaths, or about 80 per cent of the total, were unintentional drug-induced fatalities, according to the preliminary assessment, which will be updated and form part of the group's annual overdose report later this year.
Australia has marked a tragic milestone, new figures suggest.