Pubdate: Thu, 15 Feb 2001 Source: Canberra Times (Australia) Copyright: 2001 Canberra Times Contact: 9 Pirie Street , Fyshwick, Canberra, ACT 2609 Fax: 02 6280 2282 Website: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/ Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/heroin.htm (Heroin) STUDY REVEALS OVERDOSE FIGURES More than half of all heroin injectors in Australia have over-dosed, a new study revealed yesterday. Heroin overdoses had more than doubled since 1990, the Australian Institute of Criminology study said. It also reported that: * More than a third of all heroin users overdosed in 1999-2000. * In 1998 alone, 737 Australians between 15 and 44 years died from opiate overdoses. * In 1998 more than 180,000 people saw at least one heroin overdose. It found as many as one third of those witnesses did not seek medical help for the person overdosing. AIC director Adam Graycar said heroin users were encouraged never to inject alone, so that if they overdosed medical assistance could he sought. - --- MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager