Media release

From:

The yearly death toll linked to methamphetamine use in Australia doubled between 2009 and 2015, according to new Australian research.

The authors looked at the records of 1,649 meth-related deaths and found that overdose was the most common cause of death at 43 per cent; followed by 'natural' diseases such as heart disease at 22 per cent; and suicide at 18 per cent.

Nearly half of the deaths were in rural or regional locations, and 156 ice users died while at the wheel of a car or on a motorbike.

The authors say meth is a big public health problem in Australia, and it's only getting worse.

Join us for this online media briefing, where the report's lead author will discuss the findings.

Speakers:

• Professor Shane Darke is a Professor at the National Drug & Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales

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Date: Fri 28 Jul 2017
Start Time: 10:00am AEST
Duration: Approx 45 min
Venue: Online