Following International Overdose Awareness Day, Rachel Payne MP has pressed the Minister for Health on whether the government will fund a statewide public health campaign. This campaign aims to help prevent accidental overdose deaths in Victoria.
Full Transcript
The Question
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:21): (1464) My question is for the Minister for Health, Minister Stitt. Last week I attended the SHARC and Penington Institute’s International Overdose Awareness Day event. Victoria recently recorded its highest number of overdose-related deaths, with most being accidental overdoses.
SafeScript was implemented in April 2019 to prevent accidental overdose caused by polypharmacy, such as with opioids and benzodiazepines. While SafeScript plays an important preventative role, there has been limited public health education to ensure Victorians understand the risks associated with high-risk medications.
The Victorian government ran a six-month public awareness campaign when SafeScript was launched. However, more needs to be done to ensure Victorians are informed about the potential harms of these medications, including the risk of accidental overdose.
Will the minister consider a statewide public health campaign to ensure Victorians are educated about the safe use of prescription medications and to help prevent accidental overdose?
The Supplementary Question
Rachel PAYNE (South-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:25): I thank the minister for her response. Alarmingly, this year’s report showed that people aged between 50 and 59 years make up the highest proportion of unintentional deaths due to overdose, at 25.5 per cent. Victorians over 50 are more likely to have multiple health conditions and require medications for sleep, pain and anxiety. As a result, they are at a higher risk of accidental overdose. So would the minister consider a targeted public health campaign for Victorians on recognising the signs of overdose, particularly for populations most at risk, such as the over-50s cohort?
Closing the Education Gap
Rachel’s questions point to a gap between prevention tools and public understanding — SafeScript has been in place since 2019. However, the awareness campaign around it lasted only six months. With Victorians aged 50–59 now the group most affected by unintentional overdose deaths, her follow-up makes the case for education efforts that reach the people most at risk. These should not be limited to a one-off campaign at launch.
