BRIEF—Australian fentanyl crisis

Deaths from the potent prescription drug fentanyl have rapidly increased in Australia, with a senior doctor calling the trend a "national emergency," reports ABC News.

A report from the National Coronial Information Service (NCIS), commissioned by Background Briefing, shows 498 fentanyl-related deaths occurred between January 2010 and December 2015.

This figure marks an 1,800% increase on the previous decade, where NCIS data records 27 fentanyl-related deaths.

The increase reflects data in the USA, where the opioid crisis was recently declared a national emergency.

Over 71% of Australia's recorded deaths were men, with the majority of deaths occurring for those aged in their 30s (37.3%) and 40s (29.1%).

Bastian Seidel, the president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, said the figures were a "national emergency" and should prompt concern, adding: "Those deaths are entirely avoidable."