International Overdose Awareness Day

Australia Overnight with Clinton Maynard

With drug-induced deaths nearly doubling the rate of traffic deaths in Australia, experts are warning Australians to stay on guard against opioid laced drugs, as illicit drug use reaches an all-time high.

The climbing rates of drug overdoses coincides with increasing incidents with nitazenes, a deadly opioid hundreds of times more potent than morphine, being caught at the border, raising serious alarm and heightened concern for overdose risk.

Despite being only the fourth most used drug nationally, over three-fifths (60%) of overdoses involve opioids, while The Banyans Healthcare reports a 206% increase in patients presenting with opioid dependencies over the past three years - underscoring the need for immediate intervention.

Clinton is joined by Ruth Limkin, Founder of The Banyans Healthcare, to discuss the concerning rise of nitazenes in Australia, the impacts of opioid use for drug users, and provide her insights into how Australians can keep themselves and their loved ones safe.

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