The overdose crisis no one is talking about: Middle-aged adults account for 70% of accidental drug deaths - and they're not caused by MDMA
- Middle-aged adults make up the majority of accidental drug deaths in Australia
- Experts claim the older crowd is more at risk of drug death than young revellers
- Five young people have died from suspected drug overdoses in as many months
- Tragedy comes as debate continues to rage over pill testing at music festivals
Shocking figures show middle-aged adults make up the majority of accidental drug deaths in Australia.
Five young people have died from accidental overdoses across the country in the past five months in a spate of tragedies at various music festivals.
But drug policy expert Dr James Petty on Thursday revealed it is a much older crowd that is most at risk.
Australians aged between 30 and 59 account for almost 70 per cent of the county's accidental overdoses, research shows.
Shocking figures show Middle-aged adults make up the majority of accidental drug deaths in Australia
MDMA is believed to be the drug responsible for those deaths, sparking a debate over whether revellers should be able to test drugs at festivals
And those deaths were not related to MDMA use, Dr Petty said.
About 142 people die every month in Australia from accidental overdoses, data from the Pennington Institute's annual overdose report shows.
Dr Petty told 9News the dangerous combination of prescription painkillers, sleeping tablets and alcohol was one of the biggest killers of middle-aged people.
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'We see someone being prescribed something legally like oxycodone and they already take something like Valium to help them sleep better. They then combine this with beer and wine – a conjunction that sees them fatally overdose from legally obtained drugs.
'What I find interesting is the talk about young people being irresponsible and not doing the right thing, when the age bracket most at risk from fatal overdoses is actually Australians between 30 – 59.'
Alex Ross-King (pictured left) and Marli Cartmer-Congiu (pictured right) died from suspected party drug over doses
Six young people have died of suspected accidental overdoses, most at festivals, in the past eight months.
MDMA is believed to be the drug responsible for those deaths, sparking a debate over whether revellers should be able to test drugs at festivals.
Alex Ross-King died at the FOMO festival in Parramatta Park in Sydney on January 12 in what was the fifth fatality at an organised event in NSW since September.
The 19-year-old's grieving parents begged the state government to consider introducing pill testing.
Over the Australia Day weekend in Sydney, 14 people were hospitalised between two music festivals, with 10 of the cases believed to be drug-related.
Alex Ross-King (pictured) died at the FOMO festival in Parramatta Park, Sydney, on January 12
At the four-day Rainbow Serpent Festival (pictured) in near Ballarat, Victoria, 13 people were taken to hospital
At the four-day Rainbow Serpent Festival in near Ballarat, Victoria, 13 people were taken to hospital.
Festival spokesman Tim Harvey said Rainbow Serpent is no different to other events in Melbourne, such as the Spring Racing Carnival.
'We are a microcosm of what is going on in the public and the broader community faces the same challenges that we do,' he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
'I think the issue has been created by 30 years of failed drug policy - and we are waiting on the government to fix that.'
PICTURED: SIX YOUNG REVELLERS WHO DIED FROM SUSPECTED PARTY DRUG OVERDOSES IN JUST FIVE MONTHS
MARLI CARTMER-CONGIU
Marli Cartmer-Congiu took liquid ecstasy for the first time at a house party in Sydney's inner-east on Saturday night, her friends said.
A short time later, she collapsed. Her friends called an ambulance and she was rushed to hospital, but she couldn't be saved.
ALEX ROSS-KING
Alex Ross-King, 19, died in hospital on January 12 after attending the FOMO festival at Parramatta Park.
The Central Coast teenager's family have pleaded with the NSW government to introduce pill testing reigniting the debate over its effectiveness.
JOSHUA TAM
Joshua Tam, 22, died in hospital on December 29 after attending the Lost Paradise music festival near Gosford.
His family have helped set up a clothing label in the young rugby league player's memory with proceeds going towards drug education for young Australians.
CALLUM BROSNAN
Callum Brosnan, 19, died after attending the dance music festival Knockout Games of Destiny on December 9.
He was found at a train station near the festival at Sydney Olympic Park but later died in hospital.
JOSEPH PHAM
Callum Brosnan (pictured left) and Joseph Pham (pictured right) both died after suspected drug overdoses at festivals late last year
Joseph Pham, 23, from western Sydney died in hospital from a suspected drug overdose on September 15 after the Defqon.1 festival.
Weeks before his death he shared a Facebook post from a group called 'Sniff Off' who advocate for no sniffer dogs, pill testing and drug legalisation.
DIANA NGUYEN
Diana Nguyen, a 21-year-old from Melbourne, also died after Defqon.1 on September 15 from a suspected drug overdose.
Ms Nguyen was engaged after her finance had proposed in Hawaii during her 21st birthday in April.
A coronial inquest has been launched to investigate the five deaths which occurred at music festivals.
Two more deaths may be examined at the inquest.
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