A possible overdose in the Southey area has the RCMP warning rural residents that they are not immune to the overdose crisis.
In a media release issued Wednesday, the Southey RCMP says officers were called to a home in the area on Monday to respond to an “unconscious individual.”
EMS arrived first, and by the time police got there, the person had already been declared dead. The investigation into the death is still happening, with the Coroners Service taking over the file, but the RCMP says its initial information suggests it could be the result of a drug overdose.
“The autopsy and toxicology results may take months, and as such, this individual’s death cannot yet be attributed to any particular drug,” notes the release. “However, it is important to note that fatal overdoses are occurring in small towns and rural areas — this is not strictly a big city issue.”
The RCMP goes on to encourage anyone who may use drugs to ensure they don’t do it alone, and that they learn about Naloxone, which temporarily reverses the impacts of opioid overdoses and restores breathing. Take Home kits can be obtained for free by calling HealthLine 811 or visiting the province’s opioid information page.
They should also familiarize themselves with the signs of an overdose. Those can include having difficulty walking, talking or staying awake; blue lips or nails; pinpoint pupils; cold and clammy skin; dizziness or confusion; extreme drowsiness; choking, gurgling or snoring sounds; slow or weak breathing; and inability to wake up even when shaken or shouted at.
It also notes that the Good Samaritan Overdose Act ensures no one will be charged for drug possession if they help or report a person suffering an overdose or witnessing an overdose.
Anyone with information about drug trafficking in Saskatchewan is encouraged to call police in their area or report it to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.