55 people died in Sask. from suspected overdoses in January: Coroners Service report

Stakeholders are calling for policy changes that could save the lives of drug users in Saskatchewan, after the release of the latest Coroners Service overdose report.

The Saskatchewan Coroners Service reported 55 deaths from suspected overdoses last month — six more people than in January 2022, according to the justice ministry.

"It really is just heartbreaking," said Kayla DeMong, executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction, a non-profit that provides harm reduction for drug users in Saskatoon.

"I don't know what it's going to take for the province to step up and say, 'We're not going to stand for this anymore.' But the consequence of that inaction is that people will continue to die."

The report also doesn't show how many people suffered serious, but non-lethal, health complications because of an overdose, such as complications stemming from a lack of oxygen to the brain, noted Barbara Fornssler, an assistant professor at the University of Saskatchewan's school of public health, meaning it may not capture the full scope of the problem.

Overdose deaths in Saskatchewan have risen every year since at least 2016, according to the preliminary data in the Coroners Service report. There has been a stark increase since 2020, however, coinciding with the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, 419 people died from confirmed or suspected overdoses, the report shows.

Prairie Harm Reduction, which opened the province's first safe consumption site in 2019, has been seeing more and more people visit, DeMong said.

Last month, 220 different people visited the organization a combined 699 times, she said. The site was visited 619 times in November and 628 times in December.

The safe consumption site only operates one shift per day from Monday to Friday. DeMong is certain more people would use it if it could open more often, she said, noting that the organization saw increased demand when it was once open twice a day.

DeMong and Fornssler both attributed the overdoses to a poisoned drug supply, where people thinking they are consuming one drug often don't know it is laced with another.

Saskatchewan RCMP warned the public Wednesday that dangerous methamphetamine and fentanyl are circulating in the southern and southeastern regions of the province, after officers responded to three fatal overdoses since Feb. 9.

At each scene, officers found a powder — described as white, off-white or light-coloured — believed to contain meth or fentanyl, police say.

The Coroners Service will perform autopsies and toxicology analyses to confirm the nature of the drugs, and their role in the suspected overdoses, police say.

More short-term supports needed

Fern Stockdale Winder, a clinic psychologist, was tasked in 2013 with reviewing the Saskatchewan health-care system and developing an action plan to address gaps in care for mental health and addictions.

She submitted a 10-year action plan, featuring 16 recommendations and 30 recommended actions, a year later. The provincial government has been implementing various changes in the years since.

But the increasing number of people dying from overdoses signals a gap in care, DeMong and Fornssler both say.

Fornssler described the continuum of care for drug users in Saskatchewan as lopsided.

The provincial government has focused mainly on detox and treatment, she said, but there is little help for drug users until they choose to kick their addiction.

"You cannot recover when you're dead," Fornssler said.

"A triage situation is what we're in right now. It is a life-and-death scenario. When folks are not provided with safer supply options and harm reduction services, the outcome is unfortunately death."

She noted that affordable housing is another important piece of what's needed.

Drug users should carry a Naloxone kit. They are available at many pharmacies in Saskatchewan, as well as community organizations such as Prairie Harm Reduction.

People should not consume drugs alone. If you cannot use drugs around someone you trust, call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677. It is available 24/7. Someone will stay on the line and can dispatch an ambulance if needed.

If you suspect someone is overdosing, call 911. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people from being charged if illegal drugs are present at the scene.