‘Addictions know no bounds:’ Hindley on rising overdose deaths

Saskatchewan’s overdose numbers are higher than they’ve ever been and Addictions and Mental Health Minister Everett Hindley is calling for a broad approach to fix the problem.

An estimated 464 people died of drug overdoses in the province last year, compared to 327 in 2020.

Hindley told Gormley this week the numbers are extremely concerning and devastating.

“These are more than just numbers,” he said. “These are friends, they’re family members (and) they’re people in our communities. It’s an absolute tragic number of lives that are being lost.”

Hindley said the death rates are rising due to a number of reasons.

“The drug supply is much more deadly than it was a number of years ago,” he said. “That’s part of the challenge. The (COVID-19) pandemic has played a role as well.”

And addictions are no longer just a big-city problem.

“Addictions knows no bounds,” Hindley said. “It doesn’t matter where you live — whether you’re in Regina, Saskatoon or in rural communities, First Nations communities (or) northern remote communities — if you look at the communities where there have been overdose deaths in the last couple of years, it’s so far-reaching.

“(Overdose deaths have been recorded in) communities like Aberdeen, Cupar, Hudson Bay, Kamsack, Martensville, St. Walburg — the list goes on.”

There are more than 400 treatment beds in the province right now and the government wants to add 150 more.

The provincial budget this year includes an increase of $7.2 million to go towards mental health and addictions initiatives.

The province also just recently launched a new public awareness campaign called There is Help, There is Hope.