Monday 31 August is International Overdose Awareness Day (IOAD). For 25 years, IOAD has brought people together to remember those we’ve lost to overdose, and to take action to prevent more. Overdose can be prevented, but people are still losing their lives to it, or living with its health impacts. We shouldn’t need a day like this, but the reality is, we still do.
The scale of the problem
Overdose remains one of Australia’s most pressing public health issues, with data from The Penington Institute’s Annual Overdose Report showing 2024 was Australia’s deadliest year on record, with around seven people a day losing their lives to overdose, or one life lost every three and a half hours. Closer to home Victoria wasn’t spared with 584 overdose deaths recorded in the same year. The report also showed men remain twice as likely to die as women, and people aged 35–54 continue to face the greatest risk. Illegal drugs now contribute to almost two-thirds of all Victorian overdose deaths, and most fatalities involve multiple substances rather than a single drug. Behind every number is a person – someone’s child, parent, partner, friend, colleague.
Preventing overdose
Overdose is a health issue and there are a number of evidenced-based ways it can be prevented:
- Naloxone: This life-saving medicine that temporarily reverses an opioid overdose. NRCH run free Community Overdose Response Training sessions where you can learn how to use naloxone, and the Victorian Government is also trialing 20 free naloxone dispensing machines, available 24/7 across the state.
- Safe injecting facilities: There are currently only two in Australia: our Medically Supervised Injecting Room (MSIR) here at NRCH, and Sydney’s Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre (MSIC).
- Needle and syringe programs: North Richmond Community Health’s (NRCH) NSP reduces disease transmission and connects people to health care..
- Outreach: NRCH’s AOD Outreach and Community Engagement Program reaches people who would otherwise remain disconnected from life-saving services.
- Drug checking and testing services: The Victorian Pill Testing Service, combined with timely drug alerts, help people make safer choices.
Stigma costs lives
Everyone has a right to health care, yet stigma keeps too many people from seeking it. People who use drugs often delay or avoid care altogether because of how they expect to be treated. This means health issues, including overdose risk, go unaddressed for longer than they should. Reducing judgement towards people who use drugs isn’t just about compassion; it’s a practical part of how we prevent overdose deaths.
Our role
Since our MSIR opened, we’ve had nearly 650,000 visits and managed over 12,000 overdoses, and most importantly, we’ve had 0 fatalities inside the MSIR. Our AOD Outreach and Community Engagement team have also been critical to supporting the community, with over 2,300 engagements with people who use drugs, individuals who call for support, and those living and working locally. Their work reaches people who’ve found it difficult to engage with other support previously, linking them to the MSIR and other services.
Across both of these teams, NRCH distributes some of the largest volumes of naloxone in Victoria. In the first half of 2026 alone, we distributed 1,521 units of naloxone, contributing to over 380 reported overdose reversals. That is 380 lives saved.
Our staff work incredibly hard, every day, to improve and save the lives of people who use drugs. It can take a toll, especially when clients they’ve built strong relationships with go on to lose their lives. IOAD is also a moment to recognise that work, and the people doing it.
What’s happening on IOAD
- 12pm-1:30pm: Our neighbours at The Salvation Army (22 Lennox St, Richmond), along with Yarra Drug and Health Forum, are hosting an event to honour and remember friends and family affected by overdose. Dr Annie Madden AO, Executive Officer of Harm Reduction Australia and Associate Editor – Harm Reduction Journal, will be speaking.
- 1pm: Community Overdose Response Training will be delivered by our PORI team in the Community Rooms (060/050), 23 Lennox Street Richmond. Feel free to drop in and join this session.
Learn more
We welcome anyone to join us to understand the work we do in the AOD space as well as learning practical skills which may save a life:
- MSIR tour – Every Monday at 8am-9am the MSIR team open its doors for a small group tour of the facilities and an opportunity to learn more about the essential work they do. Book here.
- Community Overdose Response Training – Learn how to save a life. Delivered by our PORI team, free and open to the community. Click here to learn more and book.
Our Medically Supervised Injecting Room
A tour of our Medically Supervised Injecting Room
