Three New Zealanders are dying every week from preventable drug overdoses, with new figures revealing 169 deaths in 2025 and a disturbing increase in harm linked to methamphetamine and cocaine. Māori are bearing a disproportionate burden, with overdose death rates more than twice those of non-Māori.
The alarming findings come from a new report released by the NZ Drug Foundation, which warns that Aotearoa has failed to make meaningful progress in reducing overdose deaths over the past decade.
Executive Director Sarah Helm says the latest figures represent an ongoing public health crisis, with thousands of whānau left grieving and growing pressure on hospitals and addiction services.
According to the report, 1,440 New Zealanders have died from accidental drug overdoses over the past ten years, representing a significant and largely preventable loss of life.
In 2025 alone, overdose deaths accounted for an estimated 6,659 years of potential life lost.
Māori Bearing the Heaviest Burden
One of the most concerning findings is the continuing disparity between Māori and non-Māori.
The Drug Foundation reports that Māori experience:
- More than twice the overdose death rate of non-Māori.
- Twice the rate of overdose hospitalisations compared with non-Māori.
The figures highlight persistent inequities in drug-related harm and the importance of ensuring prevention, treatment and emergency responses are accessible to Māori communities.
The Foundation is calling for targeted interventions for Māori, alongside stronger investment in overdose prevention and support services.
For whānau already facing barriers to healthcare and addiction treatment, the findings raise questions about whether existing services are reaching those at greatest risk.
Methamphetamine and Cocaine Harms Increasing
While opioids remain the leading contributor to fatal overdoses, the report identifies a growing problem involving stimulant drugs.
Hospitalisations associated with methamphetamine and cocaine have increased since 2023, coinciding with record levels of consumption identified through wastewater testing.
The Foundation says stimulant-related deaths have remained concerningly high since 2022.
Of the 24 cocaine-related deaths recorded across the report’s monitoring period, 16 occurred between 2023 and 2025.
Helm is warning that people may underestimate the risk of a fatal overdose involving stimulants.
Unlike opioid overdoses, which commonly involve dangerously slowed breathing, stimulant overdoses can cause the body’s systems to become dangerously overstimulated.
Sometimes described as overamping, a stimulant overdose can involve overheating, severe agitation, chest pain, seizures or other life-threatening complications.
The Foundation says urgent medical attention is essential when serious symptoms develop.
It also warns that the long-term health consequences of increased stimulant consumption may place further pressure on the health system in coming years.
Mixing Drugs a Major Danger
Another significant finding concerns the use of multiple substances.
The report found that two or more substances were involved in 85 percent of overdose cases where complete information was available.
Opioids remained the largest contributor to fatal overdoses in 2025 and were involved in approximately half of overdose deaths recorded since 2016.
The findings underline the dangers associated with combining substances, particularly when people are unaware of their strength, composition or potential interactions.
The Foundation also warns that the illicit drug market is becoming increasingly unpredictable.
Novel substances designed to imitate established illicit drugs have appeared in almost one in ten cases since 2016, creating additional risks for people who may not know what they are taking.
Calls for a National Overdose Prevention Programme
The NZ Drug Foundation is urging the Government to establish a comprehensive national overdose prevention programme.
Its recommendations include expanding access to naloxone, a medicine capable of reversing opioid overdoses, through a take-home distribution scheme similar to one operating in Australia.
The organisation also wants a pilot overdose prevention centre, where people could access medical supervision and emergency assistance.
Other priorities include targeted support for Māori and people aged 45 to 54, the age group with the highest overdose death rate.
Helm is also calling for a properly funded national overdose monitoring system.
The Foundation says current information is fragmented across agencies, making it difficult to identify emerging trends and respond quickly to changing patterns of drug harm.
Better monitoring, it argues, would help direct prevention resources towards the communities and substances associated with the greatest risks.
Should People Be Protected When Calling for Help?
The findings have also renewed attention on proposed legislation designed to encourage people to seek emergency assistance during an overdose.
The Drug Overdose (Assistance Protection) Legislation Bill, currently before Parliament’s Health Committee, would provide legal protections relating to drug offences for people seeking help during an overdose.
Supporters argue that fear of criminal penalties can discourage people from calling emergency services when someone is in danger.
The Drug Foundation believes removing those barriers could help prevent avoidable deaths.
The proposal forms part of a wider debate about whether drug-related harm should be addressed primarily through criminal justice measures or through a stronger public health response.
A Crisis Measured in Lives, Not Just Statistics
For Sarah Helm and the NZ Drug Foundation, the latest figures reinforce the need for urgent action.
Despite changes in drug markets and increasing public awareness of addiction-related harm, overdose deaths have remained persistently high.
The organisation argues that effective prevention requires a combination of early intervention, accessible addiction treatment, emergency overdose responses and better national data.
For Māori communities, reducing the disproportionate burden will also require services that are culturally appropriate and responsive to whānau needs.
With 169 lives lost in a single year and stimulant-related harms continuing to rise, the Drug Foundation says Aotearoa cannot afford another decade without meaningful reductions in preventable overdose deaths.
Anyone witnessing a suspected overdose should call 111 immediately.
Information about drug-related risks and responding to stimulant overamping is available through the NZ Drug Foundation’s harm-reduction resource, www.thelevel.org.nz.
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