Shifting Substance Use Trends: Heroin No Longer Among Top Three Deadliest Drugs
For the first time, heroin is not among the three most common substances involved in drug-related deaths in Norway, according to recent data. This marks a potential shift in the country’s drug landscape, as other opioids and synthetic substances rise in prevalence.
The latest figures from the Cause of Death Registry show that other opioids – including morphine, oxycodone and codeine – account for the largest proportion of fatalities, at 36 percent. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and buprenorphine follow closely behind at 19 percent, with methadone contributing to 15 percent of deaths. These findings suggest a growing trend of prescription medications and synthetic drugs overtaking heroin as primary drivers of overdose deaths.
While heroin remains a factor in one in five deaths in Oslo, its presence as a cause of death is nearly absent in counties like Rogaland and Vestland as of 2024. This regional variation highlights the diverse patterns of substance use across Norway.
Despite a decrease in overall drug-related deaths in 2024 – 342 compared to 391 the previous year – health officials caution that the problem has been steadily increasing since 2012. “Even though there were fewer deaths in 2024 than the year before, the trend over time shows that the problem has grown steadily since 2012. It is not just random fluctuations, it is going in the wrong direction,” said health director Cathrine M. Lofthus in a press release.
The changing landscape of substance use comes as Norway grapples with a broader European trend of increasingly potent and readily available synthetic opioids. This shift presents new challenges for public health and harm reduction strategies.
In a separate case, authorities announced on July 10, 2024, that five individuals were convicted in connection with one of Norway’s largest heroin seizures. The bust, which took place in August 2022 in Bærum, involved over 35 kilograms of heroin – making it the third-largest seizure in Norwegian history. The investigation revealed that at least 39 kilograms of heroin were originally stolen from an Oslo apartment the previous year, and led to the identification of those involved in both the theft and the subsequent storage of the drugs. Sentences ranged from two years and eight months to 15 years. The stolen heroin was valued at 35 million.
Authorities also investigated reports of torture in Albania linked to the stolen heroin. Details surrounding the aftermath of heroin use continue to emerge as investigations unfold.
