Drug overdoses in New Zealand have increased by 54% from 2017 to 2021. 

In 2017, 111 people died from an overdose. Last year, it was 171 people. 

The increase is driven by opioid, alcohol, and benzodiazepine related deaths, a new Drug Foundation report found.

The report also shows that drug mixing was a significant cause of death, with 42% of overdose deaths during the last five years involving five or more drugs.

Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm says these deaths are preventable but public policy has “neglected” the issue for too long.

“There is so much we could and should be doing to prevent these deaths. The increasing numbers of people dying from overdose should be ringing alarm bells for policymakers,” she says.

New Zealand isn’t prepared for the opioid crisis

Of the 702 overdoses that were identified between 2017 and 2021, almost half (333 people) had opioids detected in their system. But an opioid reversal medicine called naloxone, which could prevent overdoses, is still restricted in New Zealand. 

There is limited data on the exact types of opioids that New Zealanders are taking or the types that are causing overdoses. 

A 2022 study in the International Journal of Drug Policy found New Zealand's opioid use has predominantly involved ‘conventional’ codeine, morphine and methadone formulations more than high-strength opioids like fentanyl and oxycodone that have fuelled the opioid crisis in places like Canada and the United States. 

However, similar to other countries, opioid overprescribing after surgery has been labelled a “significant public health issue” in New Zealand by researchers.

A 2022 study of patients undergoing general surgery at Auckland District Health Board between January and December 2019 found 42.4% dispensed an opioid following discharge after surgery and a “considerable proportion of patients” became persistent opioid users after surgery. 

Access to naloxone would be lifesaving

Funding naloxone and an Overdose Prevention Centre pilot - which would move drug use into medically supervised spaces - are two fast and cost effective ways to drive down overdose deaths, Helm says. 

Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist which means it reverses or blocks the effect of opioids in someone’s system by binding to opioid receptors. The drug can be injected or delivered through nasal spray to rapidly restore normal breathing.

Some restrictions around injectable naloxone were recently relaxed by Medsafe after an application by the Drug Foundation.

“According to our legal advice, the changes mean organisations like ours will now be able to distribute injectable naloxone, so we are taking steps to procure some,” Helm says.

The nasal spray version of the drug, called Nyxoid, currently costs $92 for a box of two. 

The Drug Foundation recently submitted a funding application to Pharmac for Nyxoid to be more affordable because it is easier to use.

“We decided to take matters into our own hands because we could not continue to wait to get this out there,” Helm says.

“We want it in the hands of as many people as possible.”

Director of operations for Pharmac Lisa Williams says Pharmac has funded naloxone injectable ampoules since 2013. However, it is still a prescription-only medicine that only healthcare professionals can order and dispense which is why it is only held at specific locations. 

“We are confident that there is currently sufficient stock of injectable naloxone to meet the health needs of New Zealanders and that our ongoing monitoring of usage will ensure that orders can be increased to respond to changes in demand if necessary.”

Pharmac recently received a funding application for the nasal spray for naloxone and they have started some funding conversations about this.

“Along with continued engagement with the supplier, [this] means we can start to assess the medicine in detail through our funding application and decision-making process,” Williams says.

Where to get help:

• Alcohol Drug Helpline: call 0800 787 797 or free text 8681 for a free, confidential text conversation
• Alcohol Drug Māori Helpline: 0800 787 798 for advice and referral to kaupapa Māori services
• Alcohol Drug Pasifika Helpline: 0800 787 799 for advice and referral to services developed for Pacific people
• Alcohol Drug Youth Helpline: 0800 787 984 for advice and referral to services for young people

More stories:

My ADHD diagnosis saved my life. The govt needs to help others get theirs

“I finally started to understand my life. I started making sense of the way I learn."

It’s time to roll out at-home STI checks across Aotearoa

“It's been one of the most successful testing interventions we've provided as an organisation.”

Why people get name suppression in NZ

Is it just something rich celebrities are able to get? Not really.