Stimulant-Related Harm Reaches Record Levels Across Australia
05 Aug 2026
A report from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney found stimulant-related harm is changing Australia's overdose trends. While opioids continue to be involved in the highest number of overdose deaths overall, the fastest growth is now linked to stimulant drugs.
Between 2023 and 2024, overdose deaths involving cocaine increased by 40%, while deaths involving amphetamine-type stimulants, including methamphetamine, amphetamine and MDMA, rose by 29%. In 2024 alone, 753 deaths involved amphetamine-type stimulants, the highest number recorded since national monitoring began.
The report also found almost 57,000 drug-related hospitalisations occurred during 2023–24, representing a 10.5% increase compared with the previous year. Hospital admissions linked to amphetamine-type stimulants increased by 24%, while cocaine-related hospitalisations rose by 29%. Nearly one-third of all drug-related hospitalisations involved amphetamine-type stimulants, with methamphetamine accounting for most cases.
RACGP Expert Committee – Quality Care member and Deputy Chair of RACGP Specific Interests Addiction Medicine, Associate Professor Marguerite Tracy, said the findings reinforce the important role GPs play in reducing harm from substance use.
She said conversations about alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and prescription medicines are a routine part of general practice, giving GPs an opportunity to educate patients about safer practices and available support services.
Associate Professor Tracy encouraged people who use illicit drugs to reduce their risk by understanding the unpredictable strength of substances, accessing clean injecting equipment where needed, being screened for blood-borne viruses and avoiding using drugs alone.
She also highlighted the importance of take-home naloxone, noting it can reverse opioid overdoses and may be particularly valuable because some stimulant drugs have been found to contain opioids.
The report also points to growing concerns about the misuse of prescription stimulant medicines. Previous research found increasing use of non-prescribed ADHD medications, with dexamphetamine and methylphenidate among the medicines most commonly misused.
Associate Professor Tracy said prescribing controls and real-time prescription monitoring remain important tools to help doctors identify potential medicine misuse while ensuring patients continue to receive appropriate treatment.
Researchers also found that 73% of overdose deaths between 2020 and 2024 involved more than one drug type, while 66% of overdose deaths occurred in males. In 2024, almost three-quarters of overdose deaths were classified as unintentional.
The report also identified a history of self-harm as one of the most common psychosocial factors among people who died from overdose.
Associate Professor Tracy encouraged anyone experiencing substance-related harm or thoughts of self-harm to seek support from their GP, emphasising that early intervention can make a significant difference.
Stimulant-Related Harm Reaches Record Levels Across Australia
Source: RACGP News | National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC), UNSW Sydney