Regina records most fatal drug overdoses in first 9 months of year since data has been collected

Regina has recorded the most apparent drug overdose deaths in the first nine months of the year since it began recording data in 2018.

From January to September there were114 apparent drug toxicity deaths recorded in the city, according to data provided by the Regina Police Service (RPS).

In 2021, Regina recorded 103 deaths in the same time period. In 2022 it was 99.

RPSacting chief Dean Rae said thegrim statistic is an unpleasant reality.

"I can tell you it's a major concern for our service," Rae told media after Tuesday's meeting of the city's Board of Police Commissioners.

"Our members are seeing this on a very regular basis."

The number of deaths is likely to climb inthe coming months, Rae said.

The current tally of 114 is only four short of the whole year total of 118 for 2022.

So far 2021 has been the deadliest full year on record, with 164. Rae said this year has the potential to be even worse.

WATCH|Why these Sask. organizations want you to be aware of drug overdoses:

Why these Sask. organizations want you to be aware of drug overdoses

1 year ago

Duration 2:29

A dozen organizations gathered in Regina's North Central neighbourhood to mark International Overdose Awareness Day, which attempts to draw attention to a problem cloaked in secrecy and shame.

Rae said the service'sdrug unit is hard at work.

"Quite frankly it's never ending. You arrest one individual who's trafficking large quantities of drugs, there's others to take his place," he said.

Rae saidthe RPS plays a role in taking drugs and drug dealers off the street, and providing policymakers with the data and information they need to make decisions.But the acting chief insistedthat police can't fix the rise of overdose deaths on their own.

He saidthe challenges that officers face on a daily basis are "quite frankly alarming."

"As a police service, we want to make sure that this is actually a health issue, and health comes to the table, and health helps us solve this problem," Rae said. "This needs to be a collaborative approach, a community approach, where we're all working together."