Sask. might see another jump in overdose deaths this year: report

Saskatchewan is on track for another year-over-year increase in drug toxicity deaths, a new report suggests.

As of Sept. 30 this year, there have been 336 deaths linked to overdoses in the province 116 confirmed drug toxicity deaths and 220 suspected fatal overdoses according to a report from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

With three months left in the year, those 336 deaths are already more than what the province saw two years ago.

"I'm not surprised [and] I'm deeply saddened," said Meagan Jasper, who is recovering from addiction andliving in Moose Jaw.

Since she became clean five years ago, Jasper has been helping others overcome their addictions.

"We have a lot of barriers in Saskatchewan, for any service that you're trying to access, when you don't have a phone or you don't have access to [the] internet."

The Coroners Service reported 409 confirmed or suspected drug toxicity deaths for all of 2021 more than double what the province saw two years earlier.

Jasper said increased isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic deepened the drug crisis in Saskatchewan.

People struggling with addictions are still feeling the aftermath of the pandemic, with some waitinga long time before they can access support services, she said.

"Isolation is always going to be our worst enemy," said Jasper. "It seems like if we had 20 people using [drugs] before the pandemic, we now have 50."

Deadly consequences of fentanyl

The rise of fentanyl has added another layer of challenges. It's an opioid that is 50 to 100 times more toxic than others, such as heroin, oxycodone or morphine, according to the province.

At least 265 people died accidentally from fentanyl, and 205 from acetyl-fentanyl, in 2021, according to theCoroners Service.

This year, there have already been 64 confirmed accidental fentanyl deaths in the province, 50 per cent more than two years ago.

That's why Jasper wants Saskatchewan to support safe consumption sites.

In March, Saskatoon's Prairie Harm Reduction was left out of the province's 2022-23 budget.

"We need to focus on keeping people alive," said Jasper.

"How are they going to find treatment if they're dead?"

Inflation and a lack of accessible housing bring additional challenges for people, with some using drugs to make their situation more bearable, said Jasper.

More and longer-term detox and treatment opportunities are also important, she added.

"I'm a product of a treatment centre that was 16 months long," she said.

"If you would have sent me somewhere for 30 days, there's no way I'd be sitting here today clean."

Regina remains the place in Saskatchewan with the most confirmed drug toxicity deaths in 2022. Fatal overdoses in the city have gone up by around50 per cent over the past month.

In its latest report, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service listed 46 confirmed fatal overdoses in Regina in 2022. That's up from 30 listed just a month prior.

Saskatoon (24), Lloydminster (seven) and Moose Jaw (four) are the places with the next highest totals.

For 2021, the Saskatchewan Coroners Service reported 194 confirmed drug toxicity deaths in Regina and 112 in Saskatoon.

"We need to end the stigma," said Jasper.

"There are so many people that are recovering loudly now and telling their story but we haven't seen anything change."