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The Saskatoon Fire Department says its resources are strained after a number of overdoses in the past 24 hours.
Rob Hogan, deputy chief of operations and emergency communications for the Saskatoon Fire Department, said it all started on the evening of Feb. 25.
“Our crews working last night, started to report to our command staff that they’ve gone to quite a number of overdoses overnight,” he said in an interview with 650 CKOM.
“We actually had one where the crew was on scene and they found three people overdosed at it,” he said, adding that there have been over 25 in the last 24 hours.
Hogan said the number is likely higher as some calls don’t come in as overdoses. “Not everybody goes to the hospital, some of them refuse treatment, but it puts a strain on our resources.”
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Hogan said the increase is not isolated to this stretch.
“Our numbers for overdoses for this year have spiked quite a bit,” Hogan said as he pulled up a fire department report.
As of 8 a.m. on Feb. 25, Hogan said, Saskatoon Fire has had 120 overdoses in February, compared to just 69 in February last year.
He emphasizes they are not the only ones who respond to overdoses, saying Medavie Health Services West, Saskatoon Police Service and community-based partners track their own numbers.
Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) is warning people on social media about a bad batch of drugs circulating in the city, one which is purple and the other being pink.
“We have tested substances that have caused the recent overdoses,” the group posted to Facebook on Wednesday.
Kayla Demong, the executive director of PHR, is worried about the pink drug. She said fentanyl can be reversed with Narcan, but it doesn’t work with “benzos.”
“The folks in the drop-in center very generously offered to provide us some of their personal drugs to test so that we could help know and alert people to what was going on,” said Demong.
Demong said they received light pink, purple and red samples.
“What we had found when we tested the three substances is that they tested differently so they were not the same, despite being sold off as the same substance.”
She said her team had heard that people were overdosing on the light pink and purple drugs.
After testing the light pink sample, a “dangerous” result came as it tested positive for fentanyl and benzodiazepines. “They’re both very addictive, but they are very dangerous when it comes to risk of overdose.” She added the dark purple sample tested for a higher dose of fentanyl.
PHR is urging people to test their drugs, carry naloxone and not use it alone.
“If you are unsure about what you’re taking, don’t take your full amount that you normally would,” said Demong.
“I am so grateful that Saskatoon Fire is sharing what they’re experiencing so that we know in the community what we need to watch out for,” said Demong.
What is a naloxone kit?
Naloxone is used to treat opioid overdoses.
The Saskatchewan government provides free naloxone kits and training on how to administer it to anyone at risk of an opioid overdose, as well as to anyone who might witness an overdose. The training also covers overdose prevention, recognition and response.
A list of places where the free kits are available can be found here. Emergency departments across the province also carry the kits, and they can be purchased at some pharmacies as well.
If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction you can call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677. This toll-free, 24-hour hotline aims to prevent deadly overdoses by connecting people who are alone and using drugs with peer volunteers who can call for help if needed.