The Cost of Opioid Use to Australia
Submitted by Edie
- 17 May 2020
A recent study, published by the National Drug Research Institute (NDRI) at Curtin University in Perth, has estimated that the illegal use of heroin and the misuse of pharmaceutical opioids is costing Australia around $15.7 billion and causing more than 2200 deaths a year.
This is a significant increase from the previous record that was collected in 2007.
Professor Steve Allsop commented:
“Extra-medical use of opioids is likely to result in adverse outcomes that require the use of health services, reduce work productivity, or result in contact with the criminal justice system,”.
