Victoria drug overdose deaths reach decade high

Victoria has recorded 632 drug overdose fatalities in 2025, the highest level in a decade and the highest number since the Coroners Court began collecting data in 2000. This figure is more than double the 291 road deaths recorded in the same period.

Data indicates a significant shift in substance contributors. While pharmaceuticals accounted for 67.1 per cent of deaths, illicit substances—specifically heroin, methamphetamine, and GHB—contributed to 66.9 per cent of fatalities. Heroin alone was linked to 261 deaths. Notably, Greater Geelong recorded 45 fatal overdoses, surpassing Melbourne’s 41 for the first time.

A sharp increase in deaths among Gen X men was observed, with fatalities in the 45–54 age cohort rising by 47 per cent from 106 in 2024 to 156 in 2025. Experts from the Pennington Institute suggest this rise may be linked to individuals shifting from pharmaceutical misuse to the more unpredictable illicit drug market due to stricter prescription monitoring and a shortage of GPs providing addiction treatment.