Third death from suspected toxic street drug in Saskatoon prompts alert from Health Ministry
Drug testing key to preventing fatal overdoses, says Prairie Harm Reduction
With three suspected fatal overdoses potentially linked to a toxic batch of drugs circulating in Saskatoon, harm reduction advocates say testing personal drug supplies is integral to preventing more deaths.
On Monday, the Saskatchewan Ministry of Health issued an overdose alert for Saskatoon warning that three potential drug toxicity deaths happened within a 24-hour period.
The alert said that in two of the suspected deaths, a white substance was found on a mirror and rolled-up paper, while smoking and injection paraphernalia were found in the third case. The Health Ministry said this suggests a higher risk of overdose and death.
On Nov. 1, Saskatoon police issued its own warning about "potentially fatal cocaine" linked to two deaths.
When using an unknown substance, it's best to get it tested regardless of whether there's a public notice about lethal mixes, said Kayla DeMong, executive director at Prairie Harm Reduction, a Saskatoon non-profit.
"We have had situations before where we see an increase of the substance that's come in from somewhere that has an increased risk and then it kind of cycles out," DeMong said.
"So it's hard to tell right away what is happening. The most vital thing is to get it tested."
Prairie Harm Reduction offers in-house testing and distributes take-away testing strips for people wanting to test their personal supply of drugs. DeMong said there's been an increase in demand for testing coming from people across many demographics.
"Substances aren't just used by the folks that access our safe consumption site, right? There's a lot of the general population that consume substances as well," DeMong said.
From Jan. 1 to Sept. 30 this year, the Saskatchewan coroner has recorded 283 confirmed and suspected drug toxicity deaths. For all of 2023, that number was 462, according to the most recent report.
Public alerts from health agencies or law enforcement are helpful, DeMong said.
"Whether it's working in the way we want or not, it is the best reaction when things like this happen … hopefully the right people are looking at it, that they're seeing it and understanding how that could impact their lives," DeMong said.
Saskatoon police reminded people that the Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act protects people who witness an overdose and call emergency services for help.
DeMong said keeping a naloxone kit handy is the best way to help someone overdosing. Prairie Harm Reduction offers naloxone training but 911 operators can help an untrained person administer the medicine that reverses opioid overdose effects.
"The operators will talk you through that and they will make sure you're OK and let you know what emergency services are on the way."
The alert remains in place until Nov. 11, according to the Health Ministry.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
