Overdose Awareness Day

August 31 is International Overdose Awareness Day, an annual campaign to end overdose.¹

This is a day to remember people who have died from overdose, and to acknowledge the grief of families and friends. The campaign also raises awareness about overdose prevention and seeks to end overdose stigma.¹

The theme for 2024 is “Together we can”. It’s a call to action which emphasises the power of community in raising awareness. It asks everyone, including those who don’t use drugs, to come together to support those affected by the tragedy of overdose.¹

On August 31, the campaign encourages people to remember the resilience of our community and harness the power of cooperation.

You can help the cause by attending events, signing petitions or writing to your local MP. The campaign website provides a full list of the different ways to get involved.¹

What is an overdose?

An overdose happens when a person has more of a drug, or a combination of drugs, than their body can handle.²

Taking several drugs at once increases overdose risk. Most accidental overdose deaths happen when several drugs (including alcohol) have been taken.^1,3

Not all overdoses lead to death – but even non-fatal overdoses can have significant psychological and health impacts on a person, including brain damage and damage to other vital organs.^4,5

Some drugs carry a higher overdose risk, such as opioids or benzodiazepines.^3,6,7

Australia’s overdose rate

Each year many Australians lose their life to overdose.

In 2021, there were 2,231 drug-induced deaths. And, for people aged 20-49, overdose was one of the top three leading causes of death.³

Since 2014, more Australians have died from unintentional overdoses than from car accidents, and this gap is growing.³

Intentional drug overdoses also have a significant impact on families, with 469 deaths in 2021.

In rural and regional areas, the rate of intentional drug-induced deaths has increased and is now higher than in cities.

The highest increases in fatal overdoses are among older Australians, with people over 60 accounting for almost 40% of these deaths in 2021.³

First Nations peoples experience high risk of overdose. In 2021, First Nations peoples were more than three times as likely to die from an unintentional overdose than non-Indigenous Australians.³

People living in rural areas, those from low-income backgrounds, and men are also more likely to die from unintentional overdoses.³

What types of drugs are more likely to be involved in overdose deaths?

In 2021, the types of drugs most often involved in unintentional drug-induced deaths included:³

• opioids (including prescribed medications such as oxycodone and codeine, as well as illegal drugs like heroin): 45.7% of deaths
• benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and alprazolam): 32.5%
• stimulants (including ice, speed, and mdma): 27.5%
• anti-depressants: 19.3%
• alcohol: 18.7%

These deaths are preventable.

Non-fatal overdose impacts Australians

Not all overdoses are deadly. Non-fatal drug and alcohol-related harm still impacts Australians and our health system.

In 2020-21, there were 151,797 drug and alcohol-related hospitalisations in Australia. This is about 415 cases each day.³

Knowing when to go to hospital for a potential overdose is crucial and can potentially save lives.

What are the signs and symptoms of overdose?

The signs and symptoms of an overdose vary between drugs.

A depressant overdose can result from drugs like alcohol, heroin, benzodiazepines or oxycodone. Signs can include:

• shallow or slow breathing
• clamminess
• a slow pulse
• vomiting
• skin colour changes, especially lips and fingernails. This can look different for people with different skin tones - typically bluish purple skin (for people with lighter complexions) or greyish or ashen skin (for people with darker complexions).^8,9

A stimulant overdose can occur from drugs like methamphetamine (ice), MDMA (ecstasy) or amphetamine (speed). Signs may include:

• chest pain
• hot, flushed or sweaty skin
• spasms or seizures
• severe agitation or panic.²

Other types of overdoses, such as from psychedelics or dissociative drugs, can result in various signs and symptoms.

Check out the Drug Wheel to find more information on specific drugs and their overdose symptoms.

How to respond to an overdose

Knowing how to respond to an overdose can save someone’s life.

This is why initiatives like the medically supervised injecting rooms (MSIR) in Richmond, Victoria, and Kings Cross, Sydney, are critical.

Providing access to, and training in, administering naloxone (a drug that can temporarily reverse an opioid overdose) can also help save lives.

If someone might be in trouble or can’t be woken after drinking alcohol or using drugs, it’s essential they get medical help.

If you can’t get a response from someone, don’t assume they’re asleep.

Not all overdoses happen quickly and sometimes it can take hours for someone to die.

Acting quickly can save a life:

• use Naloxone, if you have access to it.
• call triple zero (000) and request an ambulance. Ambulances are there to help and can provide more instructions.
• check if anyone nearby knows CPR, in case they’re not breathing or they stop breathing
• lay them on their side in the recovery position
• stay with them until the ambulance arrives
• tell the ambulance officers anything you know, like what drug/s they’ve had and how much.^10,11

Provide ambulance officers with as much information as you can – the type of drug, how much the person took, how long ago, whether they had been drinking or mixed with other drugs, and if they have any pre-existing medical conditions.

It can also be helpful to provide ambulance officers with any packaging that may have held the drug.

Learn more on overdose and drug-related emergencies.

Show your support

The tragedy of overdose death is preventable and more can be done to save lives.

Show your support on August 31 by:

• posting a tribute
• wearing a badge, wristband or lanyard available on the campaign website.
• engaging with the online International Overdose Awareness Day community on social media.

You can also get involved by holding an event. The campaign website provides an event support kit to help you run your event.

Visit the International Overdose Awareness Day website for more information.