The Saskatchewan Health Authority offers free Naloxone kits to provincial residents. (Sheena Roszell/650 CKOM)

By Brady Lang/CKOM News

‘We don’t have a playbook:’ Saskatchewan sets overdose death record in 2021

Jan 11, 2022 | 12:29 PM

People in Saskatchewan are dying from drug overdoses at a rate never seen before in the province.

According to the latest statistics provided by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, a total of 464 people in the province died by either a confirmed or suspected drug overdose in 2021.

That figure works out to nearly nine deaths per week.

In comparison, 2020 was the worst year on record with 327 suspected or confirmed overdose deaths. Of the 327 deaths, just eight have yet to be confirmed by the coroners’ service.

The service is dealing with a backlog of suspected overdose deaths this past year with 239 yet to be confirmed. Of the 225 confirmed, 208 deaths were deemed accidental in nature, with 12 deemed as suicide.

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Regina, just like in 2020, once again led the way in the death figures with 111 already confirmed for the city in 2021. Saskatoon saw 61 overdose deaths last year.

At least 36 Saskatchewan communities experienced a drug overdose death in the calendar year.

At the ground level: Medavie Health Services West

Troy Davies is no stranger to the dangers that illicit drugs pose on his city.

The director of public affairs for the ambulance service said things spiked almost immediately in March 2020 — the onset of the COVID pandemic.

“We did see almost an increase, immediately,” he told 650 CKOM.

“We went from, two years ago, where we’d maybe see four or five a week to basically, five to eight per shift — and we have 12-hour shifts.”

The service experienced record call volumes in 2021 overall, but the amount of Narcan administered spiked to levels never before seen.

604 doses of Narcan were administered in the calendar year — another record for the service.

Davies took us behind the numbers.

“That’s something that shows us two things, that the drugs out there are more potent and the increased number of overdose calls that we’re doing. What’s concerning to us is when we’re getting to that point that we’re giving Narcan, that means that they’re not breathing on their own effectively and it’s life-threatening,” he said.

Davies said Medavie has been working with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and the Ministry of Health.

When looking deeper into the numbers, Davies explained that the trends aren’t giving them any answers.

“There’s no trends we can track. We’ve tried looking at locations, neighbourhoods, age groups — there’s nothing there that’s really identifiable that’s a key contributor. It’s something that we don’t have a playbook for,” he said.

By the numbers: PHR releases consumption site data

Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) has been at the forefront of the overdose crisis, opening Saskatchewan’s first safe consumption site in October 2020.

On Jan. 4, PHR released its usage numbers for the calendar year.

3,680 people used its services in 2021, working out to be just over 10 per day. This was done while the consumption site operated at a reduced rate, Monday to Friday, 10 a.m until 4 p.m.

Those hours were expanded in June to be open from 10 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.

The usage in the consumption site peaked in November when 733 people used its services.

PHR does not receive provincial funding for its safe consumption site but does receive funding for services provided such as outreach services, naloxone trainers and its Family Support Program. It has been denied funding on multiple occasions by the province.