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. 2025 May;44(4):1285-1289.
doi: 10.1111/dar.14054. Epub 2025 Apr 21.

Changes over time in novel benzodiazepines contributing to fatal overdoses in Victoria, Australia

Jennifer L Schumann  1   2   3 , Rebekka Syrjanen  2 , Jeremy A Dwyer  2   4
Affiliations

Changes over time in novel benzodiazepines contributing to fatal overdoses in Victoria, Australia

Jennifer L Schumann et al. Drug Alcohol Rev. 2025 May.

Abstract

Introduction: Novel benzodiazepines (NBZN) have increased in availability and use since the mid-2000s, with a corresponding rise in associated harms including deaths.

Methods: The study used data from the Victorian Overdose Deaths Register to explore which specific NBZNs and combinations of NBZNs contributed over time to Victorian overdose deaths between January 2009 and December 2023.

Results: There were 140 NBZN-involved overdose deaths in Victoria, with an observable increase in deaths from 2019 onward. Eight main groupings of deaths in time were identified, based on contributing NBZNs. Key groupings included etizolam-related deaths between 2019 and 2021, followed by flualprazolam and clonazolam deaths, and later, bromazolam and clobromazolam combinations in 2022-2023.

Discussion and conclusions: These findings reflect the transiency of NBZNs in Victoria's unregulated drug market and highlight the importance of certain harm reduction measures in addressing increasing NBZN use. These include public education around the risks of using benzodiazepines not dispensed from pharmacies and the use of drug checking services to assist people obtaining benzodiazepines from unregulated drug markets.

Keywords: coroner; drug death; new benzodiazepine; new psychoactive substance.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Victorian Novel benzodiazepine (NBZN)‐involved overdose deaths between 2009 and 2023 by individual contributing NBZNs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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