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A man who helps train people how to use Naloxone kits at Carmichael Outreach in Regina says he has never seen things this bad.
Numbers released last week from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service said that as of Oct. 26, there had been 296 confirmed or suspected drug overdose deaths in the province in 2020, which is 125 more than the previous record in 2018.
Regina was the area hardest hit with 58 confirmed deaths.
Robert Hughes is the HIV strategy, housing and support co-ordinator at Carmichael Outreach in Regina. He also runs the Naloxone program there, helping people get access to the anti-overdose drug and training people how to administer it.
Hughes has been in that position for six years and said he has never seen it this bad. He believes the problems are happening because people who use drugs can’t get their hands on the drugs they might normal use, like cocaine or crystal meth.
“So they’re substituting one for another, thinking they’re going to get the same result, maybe, using fentanyl and, of course, that leads to overdose,” explained Hughes.
He said when someone has an addiction, they’ll use pretty much anything to get that high.
Hughes said as overdoses have gone up, he’s seeing more and more people coming to get Naloxone kits and training – from drug users to their families, and even just people who want to have the resources to help if they come across someone in the midst of an overdose.
“People that are using are riddled with shame so they hide, kind of, in the shadows, and don’t arm themselves with the proper tools, such as Naloxone, in case they are ever in an overdose situation,” he said.
Hughes also tries to make sure people have all the information they need, such as knowing about the Good Samaritan Act, which gives people amnesty for simple drug possession charges if they call for help for someone who’s overdosing.
Hughes said the pandemic has really amped up people’s addictions and mental health issues.
As far as he’s concerned, Hughes said solutions include giving people more access to harm reduction supplies. Some people believe allowing access to such supplies is telling people that it’s OK to use, but Hughes said people are going to use drugs whether you tell them it’s OK or not.
“So if they’re going to use, why don’t we make sure that they have clean supplies to protect them as well as other people in the community?” said Hughes.
He said people also need to have access to resources like counselling, addictions help and even basic things like a place to live. He said not having those things can be very stressful and cause people’s addiction to skyrocket.
“And to not have access to things that allow you to have a normal life, they’re things that everybody else is entitled to or has access to: Housing, food, maybe counselling, addictions support,” he said.
Hughes believes everyone in his field is overrun right now and he thinks the provincial and federal governments need to do more.
