From 2000 to 2023 in Australia, 43 deaths involving LSD (33 cases) or psilocybin (10 cases) were identified. Most deaths were from traumatic accidents (36.4% for LSD, 40.0% for psilocybin) or self-harm by physical means (12 cases, all involving LSD). Multiple drug toxicity accounted for about a fifth of deaths. Only one death was attributed solely to LSD toxicity, and two followed a cardiovascular event after LSD use. In four psilocybin cases the cause was undetermined. Severe agitation was the most common clinical presentation. Median blood concentrations were 0.8 μg/l for LSD and 20 μg/l for psilocin. Pre-existing organ pathology was uncommon.
From 2000 to 2025, 70 fatal poisonings involving new psychoactive stimulants and hallucinogens (NPSH) were identified in Australia, the first occurring in 2007. In nearly a quarter of cases, the person appeared unaware they were consuming an NPSH, and about a third involved injection. Common signs of acute poisoning included intense agitation, sudden collapse, and hyperthermia. Cathinones were the most frequently detected NPSH, followed by phenethylamines and tryptamines. Over a quarter of cases had multiple NPSH in the blood. In the 2020s, tryptamines became more common while phenethylamines became less common, and a wider range of NPSH were detected. Psychoactive drugs besides NPSH were present in most cases, especially psychostimulants and hypnosedatives.