Arabic version: وفيات جرعات زائدة في كانبيرا تدفع إلى تحذير من المواد الأفيونية

According to ABC News, five people in the ACT have died from suspected drug overdoses in the past fortnight, prompting health and emergency services to warn about potentially lethal drugs circulating in the territory. ACT Policing said another two people survived reported overdoses in the past week, and officers suspect opioids were involved in all seven cases.

Detective Superintendent Peta Lankester said police were investigating each incident and that the coroner would determine the outcome for each death. She said opioids carry a high level of addiction and urged drug users and people around them to be aware of overdose signs. Police said 25 people in Canberra had died from suspected drug overdoses over the past year.

Directions Health Services CEO Bronwyn Hendry said some overdoses could be linked to online purchases of imitation prescription drugs by unsuspecting users. She said products sold as oxycodone or benzodiazepines might not be what they purport to be. Directions Health Services operates CanTEST, the only publicly available drug-testing clinic in the country, in Canberra.

Recent testing had found heroin in cocaine on two occasions, Hendry said. She also warned that nitazenes had entered the illicit drug market. Nitazenes are strong synthetic opioids that are not prescribed pharmaceutical drugs and could potentially be imported from overseas markets. Hendry said they can be up to 1,000 times stronger than morphine.

ACT Ambulance said the cluster of deaths was concerning but had not increased paramedics’ workload. Paramedic Sam Perillo urged people who were concerned to intervene early and call for help, and to use naloxone if available. The nasal spray can rapidly reverse overdose effects and is available free at CanTEST, CAHMA, Woden Needle and Syringe Programs and select pharmacies. The ACT Coroner will investigate the five recent deaths.