A safe-consumption site in Saskatoon said it’s seeing overdoses increase in the city, already handling 12 overdoses since January.
“We are seeing more and more people who are knowingly using fentanyl because that is what is available,” said Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) executive director Kayla DeMong.
PHR said it saw 42 overdoses last year but didn’t have to call 911 as a result of the diligence of the staff.
“We had 42 last fiscal year and 911 was not called one time,” she said. “Naloxone was only used in 24 of those incidences and the rest of them the staff noticed right away very, very quickly.”
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The site has never had an overdose occur within its doors.
A spokesperson from Saskatoon police said they aren’t aware of an increased potency in any drugs resulting in the increased overdoses PHR said it is seeing.
“Of course, any drug that is not prescribed by a doctor and dispensed by a pharmacist can result in serious injury or death,” said Joshua Grella of Saskatoon police.
PHR announced last month that it will be reducing its hours beginning in May as a result of the province’s decision to stop supplying harm reduction supplies.
“It has added an extra $24,000 to our budget this year,” DeMong said. “At this point, we don’t have the funds to operate 12 hours a day.”
She added the centre also isn’t large enough to house the number of people in need, noting that PHR has served 500 people since January 2024.
Demong said one of the main reasons demand is skyrocketing boils down to the cost of living.
“We are seeing more and more people who were previously housed who are no longer housed because of the increase in rents and income assistance not matching the demand,” DeMong said.
Troy Davies, director of public affairs for Medavie Health Services West, said the number of overdoses in the city has increased dramatically since 2019.
“In 2019, we gave narcan 109 times, whereas in 2023 we gave it over 740 times,” he said.
He said the number would have been considerably more, if not for the Saskatchewan Health Authority and PHR promoting bystander intervention.
Davies added paramedics also find themselves returning to tend to the same patient multiple times during the day after the effects of narcan wear off.
DeMong said she would like to see the province make policies with the help and advice of experts within the field.
“Decisions are being made by people who have no real education or understanding of what substance use disorder is,” she said. “The reality of is, we need a spectrum. Treatment is not a wrong decision, but treatment has to be available when it is needed.”
Global News has reached out to the province for comment.
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