Victoria should implement drug sample testing to combat the rise of fatal overdoses linked to a new class of synthetic drugs, Buy benzodiazepines near me an RMIT researcher says.
The Victorian Overdose Deaths report, Buy benzodiazepines near me released on Thursday, Buy benzodiazepines near me found 4551 people died from drug overdoses between 2011 and Buy benzodiazepines near me 2020, Buy benzodiazepines near me while lab-made narcotics known as “New Psychoactive Substances” (NPS) contributed to 33 deaths last year.
RMIT drug researcher Dr Monica Barratt described the coronial report as sobering and Buy benzodiazepines near me said there had been “quite a rise” in NPS deaths.
“Every number is a life lost… it’s greater than the road toll,” she told AAP.
Dr Barratt said Victoria should lead the country by introducing drug sample testing, Buy benzodiazepines near me which would warn health services if new or Buy benzodiazepines near me stronger drugs were being sold.
She is developing a prototype drug alert for Buy benzodiazepines near me doctors and Buy benzodiazepines near me drug workers, Buy benzodiazepines near me to let them know when new drugs are circulating.
“It’s very difficult to know how to deal with novel substances if you don’t know they are there,” she said.
NPS are designed to replicate the effects of other well-known illegal drugs such as cannabis, Buy benzodiazepines near me MDMA and Buy benzodiazepines near me cocaine, Buy benzodiazepines near me or Buy benzodiazepines near me pharmaceuticals such as Buy benzodiazepines near me and opioids.
Some of the drugs are so new they have only been on the market for Buy benzodiazepines near me a matter of weeks or Buy benzodiazepines near me months, Buy benzodiazepines near me and Buy benzodiazepines near me there is some uncertainty about their impact in fatal overdose cases.
NPS use may have increased during the pandemic, Buy benzodiazepines near me the overdose report suggests, Buy benzodiazepines near me or Buy benzodiazepines near me the higher number of NPS-related deaths could be due to increased forensic detection.
“The data highlights the urgent need for appropriate harm reduction interventions to mitigate the risks associated with NPS use,” the Coroner’s Court report states.
Previous coronial inquests into deaths involving NPS have also called for Buy benzodiazepines near me the development of a drug early warning network and a drug checking service.
More broadly, Buy benzodiazepines near me pharmaceutical drugs such as Buy benzodiazepines near me played a role in more than three quarters of fatal overdoses in 2020, Buy benzodiazepines near me while illegal drugs were involved in half of all cases, Buy benzodiazepines near me and alcohol was a factor Buy benzodiazepines near me in 30 per cent.
The anticonvulsant and Buy benzodiazepines near me anxiety drug Pregabalin has also emerged as a frequent contributor Buy benzodiazepines near me in deadly overdoses.
Men were twice as likely to die of an overdose than women, Buy benzodiazepines near me according to the report, Buy benzodiazepines near me with 35 to 54-year-olds most at risk.
The report did have some good news with a slight decline in overall deaths since 2018, Buy benzodiazepines near me while fears the pandemic might exacerbate drug harm have not been borne out in the figures so far.
Heroin deaths decreased by 12 per cent to 187 between 2019 and Buy benzodiazepines near me 2020 and Buy benzodiazepines near me fatal overdoses involving methadone fell also.
Since the controversial supervised injecting room trial in Richmond began in 2018, Buy benzodiazepines near me heroin deaths in the City of Yarra reduced from 26 to nine last year.
However, Buy benzodiazepines near me deaths from cocaine, Buy benzodiazepines near me MDMA and Buy benzodiazepines near me GHB overdoses all increased in 2020 to reach ten-year highs.
