SYDNEY, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Drug-related deaths and hospitalizations in Australia have increased, driven by rising harms from amphetamine-type stimulants and cocaine, said a report released on Tuesday.
The annual report by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Center (NDARC) at Australia's University of New South Wales showed there were 2,005 drug-induced deaths, excluding alcohol- and tobacco-related deaths, in 2024, equivalent to about 5.5 deaths a day or 7.3 deaths per 100,000 people.
Although the 2024 estimates are preliminary, they already exceed the revised 2023 estimates, where the rate was 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people, suggesting the decline in overdose deaths since the 2017 peak has stalled, the report said.
"Our findings suggest methamphetamine-related harms are increasing again, alongside rising harms associated with cocaine use," said Associate Professor Amy Peacock, NDARC deputy director and drug trends program lead, describing the emerging patterns as "a major public health concern."
Peacock said that opioids remained the leading drug class identified in overdose deaths, but the recent rise was driven by a 29-percent increase in deaths from amphetamine-type stimulants and a 40-percent surge in cocaine-related mortality.
The reports also recorded 56,797 drug-related hospitalizations (excluding alcohol and tobacco) in 2023-24, up 10.5 percent from the previous year, outpacing the 4.1-percent increase in overall hospital admissions in the same period. ■