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The Saskatchewan Government’s increased goal for addictions treatment spaces will likely have to be increased once again, according to the premier.
In 2023, in its Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions, the government increased its goal for active addictions treatment and recovery spaces in the province from 150 to 500.
More than 300 are operating now and this fiscal year, the government is spending $10.3 million dollars, in part to get to the 500 mark.
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But on Monday in his speech to the SUMA convention, Moe said the government will likely have to go above and beyond that.
“I don’t think 500 is going to be enough, we’re going to – unfortunately, I say – have to commit to more in the future,” said Moe.
He couldn’t say how many that might end up being – just that government will need to assess and see where they land.
“It also has to be an achievable number that we can achieve in a period of time,” said Moe.
Moe said the second part of the government’s work against the drug and addictions issue is investments in policing. He said all too often in homelessness and criminal activity, it’s driven by people who are living with addictions.
“We want to eradicate those drugs from our Saskatchewan communities and from our province and, in the meantime, we want to ensure that we are offering each and every one of those individuals that have so unfortunately entered that life of addictions and that life of homelessness a recovery opportunity,” said Moe.
This update comes amid the aftermath of Prairie Harm Reduction closing in Saskatoon, a supervised consumption site that also offered information on – and a path to – addictions treatment for those interested.
The addictions treatment spaces open as of February included 31 second-stage sober living spaces, 121 inpatient spaces, 40 mobile withdrawal management spaces, 20 withdrawal management spaces, 26 post-treatment spaces, 32 intensive out-patient treatment spaces and 42 virtual spaces.
