Sask. on track for record-breaking drug overdose deaths in 2022
Saskatchewan drug overdose deaths are on the rise again this year.
The province is trending towards record-breaking numbers, reporting 74 confirmed fatal overdoses and 189 suspected drug deaths since Jan. 1 2022, as of Aug. 2, according to Saskatchewan Coroners Service.
“We’ve seen about 263 deaths so far in Saskatchewan this year, if this continues the trend we’re looking at is around 500 deaths from drug toxicity or drug overdoses,” Clive Weighill, Chief Coroner for Saskatchewan, said.
Saskatchewan has seen a steady increase in overdose totals since 2016, reporting a huge jump between 2019 and 2020. In 2019, 179 deaths were reported, with that mark rising to 322 in 2020.
Overdose deaths rose again in 2021, hitting 388.
“When you speak to the numbers, if we were to do just basic math on it, we have the potential to hit 450 overdoses this year,” Marie Agioritis, the Saskatchewan lead for Moms Stop The Harm, said.
Moms Stop the Harm is an organization that supports a harm reduction approach, and calls for evidence based prevention, treatment and policy change to address the overdose crisis.
Agioritis attributes the increase in overdose deaths over the past few years to the pandemic, but not simply because of added free time and an increase in mental health concerns.
“During the pandemic itself, there was a supply chain issue. Supply chain wasn’t just restricted to steel and grain. Drugs were the same thing," she said.
“So you found more people mixing—ordering if they could get it, locally, or mixing more toxic chemicals into drugs to be able to meet the demand.”
According to the Coroners report, fentanyl is the number one drug associated with the deaths in 2022. Regina (23) and Saskatoon (19) have recorded the most deaths among Saskatchewan cities.
“Oh by far and large it’s fentanyl. Fentanyl and its derivatives like charafentanyl, but fentanyl is the main ingredient that we see,” said Weighill.
“From what I understand it gives a very good high and we have people on the methadone program and it doesn’t give as good of a high as fentanyl so people go back to it. And sometimes people don’t know fentanyl is in the drugs.”
As of July 31, there were 65 accidental overdoses and nine suicides by overdose confirmed.
Agioritis, who lost her 19-year-old son, Kelly, to an overdose in 2015, said until policies and procedures around overdose and the stigma associated with it change, the deaths will continue to climb steadily.
She added that safe consumption and changes to criminal drug enforcement are part of the solution.
“The numbers are all there, and the experts all agree— it’s just trying to get the greater community to understand. And the only way the greater community is going to understand is if our community leaders take a stand,” Agioritis said.
Weighill said Saskatchewan is on par with British Columbia in terms of percentage and rates of overdose deaths.
While some people object to institutions that assist drug use, or provide places for those struggling to take drugs, both Agioritis and Weighill emphasize that an accidental overdose can happen to anyone.
“There’s many different facets to this,” Weighill said. “I can’t stress this enough, it’s not a simple problem.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Multiple bridges in Calgary shut down for police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Baby boom amongst nurses leads to maternity ward closure in Listowel, Ont.
The emergency room at Listowel’s hospital is open today, but come summer, their obstetrics unit will be temporarily closing its delivery rooms.
Humboldt Broncos bus crash survivor qualifies Canada for Paralympics in rowing event
Former Humboldt Broncos goaltender and bus crash survivor Jacob Wassermann has qualified Canada for a rowing event for the 2024 Paralympic games in Paris.
Krispy Kreme doughnuts coming to McDonald's in U.S., but not Canada
Canadians will be missing out on a sweet new partnership between McDonald's and Krispy Kreme, which will see doughnuts available at McDonald's locations across the U.S. by the end of 2026.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.