On Thursday, experts from the University of New South Wales (NSW Sydney) published a report that showed that 5 Australians died per day from drug overdoses and other narcotic-induced causes in 2021. The report revealed that there were 1,788 drug-induced deaths among Australians in 2021, equivalent to 1% of all registered deaths in Australia during the year.

Out of every 100,000 Australians, 6.9 died as a result of drug-related causes. In 2021, 63% of the drug-related fatalities were observed in the male population who were between the age groups of 35–44 and 45–54 years.

Opioids, including heroin and prescription opioids, were identified as the most commonly implicated in drug overdose deaths in 2021, accounting for 1,008 deaths, followed by antiepileptic, sedative-hypnotic, and anti-parkinsonian medications. The findings of the report showed that 76% of all drug-related deaths occurred at home, with 68% classified as unintentional and 27% classified as deliberate.

On Wednesday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) of Australia announced that they would cut the pack size of paracetamol. According to the TGA, around 225 individuals are hospitalized and 50 Australians die each year due to paracetamol overdose, with rates of deliberate overdose being highest among teens and young adults.

The maximum size of packets available for general sale in Australia, such as in supermarkets and convenience stores, will be reduced from 20 to 16 tablets or capsules on February 1, 2025, while the packet size on pharmacy shelves will be reduced from 100 to 50. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1076532 )