General News
2 September, 2025
Fighting against illicit drugs
POLICE in the Northern Grampians region have reiterated their commitment to tracking down individuals supplying illicit drugs in the local community in the wake of a concerning report from the Coroners Court of Victoria revealing fatal drug overdoses are at a 10-year high in Victoria.
Victoria recorded 584 fatal overdoses in 2024, up 37 deaths from 2023, with illegal drugs the biggest contributing factor in the overdoses, continuing a steady trend upwards in the involvement of illicit drugs over the past decade.
2024 was a particularly bad year in Ararat Rural City, with three people dying from drug overdoses.
15 people have died from drug overdoses in our municipality since 2015.
Illicit drugs include substances such as heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA and GHB, and account for 65 per cent of the total overdose deaths in Victoria.
Northern Grampians Local Area Commander Inspector Matt Flood said police in the local region have had some success curbing illicit drug problems.
“While fatal drug overdoses remain an issue across other parts of Victoria, the Northern Grampians continues to record some of the lowest levels in the state,” he said.
“Our focus when it comes to illicit drugs is clear, we target those manufacturing and distributing in our community.
“The work of our local police to shut down drug trafficking has made a real impact, with drug use and possession dropping to its lowest levels in a decade.”
Inspector Flood encouraged members of the community to reach out with information that could help in the fight against drugs in the community.
“Anyone with information about illicit drug activity is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au”
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