Opioid Abuse Costs Australia $16 Billion a Year

Opioid Abuse Costs Australia $16 Billion a Year
A Pharmacy in Forest Lake on the southside of Brisbane is seen on May 14, 2015 in Brisbane, Australia. Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images
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The misuse of opioids, including prescription drugs and heroin, is costing Australia almost $16 billion and thousands of deaths a year.

More than 645,000 Australians misused opioids in the 12 months to June 2016, a new study published by Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute shows.