There has been an increase in unintentional drug overdoses in the Southern Highlands.
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A new Penington Institute report has revealed 21 people died of an unintentional drug overdose between 2014 and 2018.
That was 16 more deaths than recorded in the five years from 2009 to 2013.
Age remained a risk factor for overdose death, with more than 40 per cent of all unintentional overdose deaths in 2018 suffered by Australians aged 50 and over.
Meanwhile those in their 40s accounted for 27 per cent of the total.
The annual overdose report for 2020 revealed opioids were the drug group most identified in unintentional overdose deaths in 2018 in Australia. This was followed by benzodiazepines and stimulants.
Unintentional overdose deaths occurred at higher rates in regional areas than in capital cities.
In 2018, there were 7.3 unintentional overdose deaths per 100,000 people in rural and regional Australia, compared with 5.8 per 100,000 in the capital cities.
Penington Institute CEO John Ryan said the organisation wanted the report to encourage Australians from all walks of life to talk more about overdose and drug issues.
"That's vital if we're to bring this hidden crisis out of the shadows," Mr Ryan said.
"The rich, middle and poor are all impacted by overdose - city and country too.
"It is not someone else's problem, it is an Australian problem that we must collectively face up to."
The Penington Institute has called on the federal government to commit to a national overdose prevention strategy.
