Victoria’s record drug overdose deaths linked to surge among Gen X men, coroner says

The latest coroner’s court data reveals a sharp increase in fatal overdoses among middle‑aged men, the biggest rise in any cohort since 2000.

By Felo News Desk · Published Wed, 07 Oct 2026 06:52:08 GMT

Victoria recorded 632 drug‑related overdose deaths in 2025, the highest total since the coroner began tracking the figures in 2000, according to a new coroner’s court report released on 7 October 2026.

What happened

The report shows that men aged 45‑54 accounted for the steepest increase, with deaths in that cohort climbing from 106 in 2024 to 156 in 2025 – a rise of 47 per cent. Overall, fatal overdoses among Gen X men rose by almost 50 per cent in a single year, pushing the state’s drug‑related death toll to its highest level since the heroin surge of the late 1990s.

What the reports add

The coroner’s data noted that an addition of 50 fatal overdoses in a single cohort over one year “has not been observed in any other group for the reporting period.”
Both SMH articles report the same statistics, but one spells the research body as the “Pennington Institute” while the other uses “Penington Institute.”
The top contributing drugs were heroin (261 deaths), methamphetamine (249 deaths) and the prescription medication diazepam/Valium (232 deaths); many deaths involved multiple substances.
Three‑quarters of overdose deaths over the past decade were unintentional, about 19 % were suicides and 6 % were of unknown intent.
Men were on average twice as likely as women to die from overdose.
Geographically, about three‑quarters of deaths occurred in metropolitan Melbourne, with Greater Geelong recording the highest number of fatal overdoses in a single local government area (45 deaths), followed by the City of Melbourne (41 deaths).
The Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association (VADA) described the situation as a public‑health crisis and called for greater investment in harm‑reduction initiatives.
More than 5,122 people were on waiting lists for alcohol and drug treatment services at the time of the report.

What was said

“A bit of a mystery.” – John Ryan, chief executive of the Pennington Institute, told SMH.

“I suspect that GPs becoming more cautious about prescribing addictive drugs, as well as real‑time prescription monitoring, have led to middle‑aged men previously addicted to pharmaceutical drugs being pushed into Victoria’s illicit drug market.” – John Ryan, SMH.

“There’s a possibility that people have shifted from pharmaceutical misuse to illicit drug use. This is much more risky because they don’t know the quality or quantity of what they’re consuming.” – John Ryan, SMH.

“There hasn’t been enough support for off‑ramping people out of pharmaceutical drugs.” – John Ryan, SMH.

“A shortage of Victorian GPs who prescribe medication to treat addiction also made it difficult for users to access treatment such as methadone.” – John Ryan, SMH.

“This is a story of great tragedy. It’s not just about the people who are lost, it’s about the people who are left behind to suffer.” – John Ryan, SMH.

“The fact that the annual overdose deaths have now surpassed 600 should be an immediate call to action.” – Scott Drummond, interim chief executive of the Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association, SMH.

How it came about

The coroner’s findings follow a period of rising concern over drug‑related harm in Victoria, including earlier reports of increased methamphetamine seizures and community calls for better addiction services. The record‑setting figures arrive amid record demand for treatment, with over 5,000 people waiting for services, and heightened scrutiny of prescribing practices and prescription‑monitoring systems.

Key facts

632 overdose deaths were recorded in Victoria in 2025, the highest since 2000. (smh.com.au)
Deaths among men aged 45‑54 rose from 106 in 2024 to 156 in 2025, a 47% increase. (smh.com.au)
Fatal overdoses among Gen X men increased by almost 50% in a single year. (smh.com.au)
John Ryan of the Penington Institute described the rise as “a bit of a mystery”. (smh.com.au)