A new Coroner's Court report shows fatal overdoses among Gen X men increased by almost 50 per cent in a single year, with deaths in this cohort rising from 106 in 2024 to 156 last year.
The report said it was not known what was driving the rise among this age group.
John Ryan, chief executive of public health research and drug policy organisation the Penington Institute, said the increase was "a bit of a mystery" that needed further investigation. He said he suspected that GPs becoming more cautious about prescribing addictive drugs, as well as real-time prescription monitoring, had led to middle-aged men previously addicted to pharmaceutical drugs being pushed into Victoria's illicit drug market.
"There's a possibility that people have shifted from pharmaceutical misuse to illicit drug use. This is much more risky because they don't know the quality or quantity of what they're consuming," he said.
"There hasn't been enough support for off-ramping people out of pharmaceutical drugs."
Ryan said a shortage of Victorian GPs who prescribe medication to treat addiction also made it difficult for users to access treatment such as methadone.
"This is a story of great tragedy," he said. "It's not just about the people who are lost, it's about the people who are left behind to suffer."
The top contributing drugs to the fatal overdoses were heroin (261 deaths) and methamphetamine (249 deaths).