Elite rehab centre finds opioid use spikes three-fold among people needing help

As Australian overdose deaths double the national road death tally, patients with opioid issues have tripled.

Australian Federal Police have seen growing numbers of highly potent synthetic opioids called nitazenes being imported into Australia in the past two years.

Deaths related to the dangerous synthetic drugs being cut into both illegally purchased medications and illicit drugs are beginning to mount across the country.

Founder of Brisbane rehab centre The Banyans Healthcare, Ruth Limkin, said opioid abuse was being driven out of view because of a stigma around addiction and confusion about who and how to ask for help.

The Banyans has been operating its up-market rehabilitation practice in Brisbane for eight years. Patients with an opioid issue have spiked three-fold in the past three years.

Banyans has a live-in four week program but also more affordable daily and online programs. About half of their 200-plus patients each year have a drug issue. The other half are seeking help for mental health issues without the substance concerns.

A touchstone annual report on Australian drug use released its findings on Sunday, showing overdose deaths rose again in 2022.

The Penington Institute’s Annual Overdose Report finds the number of Australians who died from a drug overdose again hit a record high, with 2356 deaths in 2022 – 79 more deaths than the year previous.

In July last year, the federal government began a nationally consistent opioid treatment program, giving 40,000 patients medicine subsidies.

But the slow creeping incursion of lethally strong nitazenes are among chief concerns for people tasked with helping opioid dependants and abusers.

Nitazenes are regularly tens-of-times more potent than fentanyl, and hundreds of times the strength of morphine. This dramatically increases the chances of the user becoming unconscious and stopping breathing.

Because of the addictive nature of prescribed opioid pain medication, users having torn through their supply often end up buying what they think are pills from dealers, and now nitazenes are being cut into drugs found here.

Victoria, NSW, the ACT, Queensland and South Australian have issued health alerts for various types of nitazenes since 2022. Almost double as many people fatally overdosed in 2022 than died on the roads.

Ms Limkin wants a national addiction awareness campaign, replete with billboards and ads.

“Because we’re just not talking about it, and talking about it will help save lives,” she said.

Despite offering a concierge service to and from private jets and fine dining, and personal security, The Banyans treats FIFO workers, tradies, emergency services, healthcare workers and young professionals as well as executives. Defence veterans get subsidised treatment.

In the past 18 months, the organisation has treated skyrocketing numbers of people needing help with burnout and stress, often in the context of mounting economic pressures.

But the typical person treated at the elite facility follows a played-out trajectory; prescribed opioids after surgery, becomes dependent, too embarrassed to ask the local GP for help and when they need more, they turn to the black market.

The organisation does not have an official position on decriminalising illicit drugs. Ms Limkin said profiteers needed to be pursued by police, but addiction sufferers needed health support, not criminal convictions.

“We need to have a real honest conversation about how to access help-seeking on personally destructive use,” Ms Limkin said

A review of The Banyans data shows the number of women aged 40-60 with opioid-use issues is growing. Ms Limkin thinks that may be down to middle-aged women seeking medical help more often.

As far as she knew The Banyans had not treated anyone affected by nitazenes, and she had not heard of a patient stealing opioids from their own workplace.

Nitazenes did claim the life of 18-year-old Melbourne tradie Jetson Gordon though. He died in April 2022 after buying what he thought was oxycodone on the dark web.

Mr Gordon’s parents told the ABC their son “had an unfortunate experience around pharmaceuticals and prescribed medication”, so he decided to purchase the oxycodone online.

In May this year, the Federal Police issued a public warning; 22 mail parcels from the UK intercepted in October had 742 pills containing nitazene. Border Force had only ever seen two instances of nitazenes before.

Men in Sydney and Melbourne have been charged with importing chemicals similar to nitazene (analogs), and a Northern Territory man has been charged with importing metonitazene.

Australian Federal Police Commander Paula Hudson previously said nitazenes were never approved for medical use because of the high potency.

“We are warning the community that there is no such thing as a safe dosage when it comes to this drug,” Commander Hudson said.