Saskatchewan’s government says it will no longer allow “safe supply” organizations to provide instructions on how to use illicit drugs or offer pipes for smoking drugs.
Instead, the province says it will focus on providing treatment to those struggling with drug addiction.
“Instead, the message coming from the health care system should be that there is hope for recovery, and there is help available through treatment,” he added.
The release also said the government will not provide funding for third-party organizations that help people use illicit drugs.
The executive director of Prairie Harm Reduction, a safe consumption site in Saskatoon, told The Epoch Times she is concerned by the government’s decision.
“It’s been a really devastating 24 hours as we try and navigate what to do with all of this and how we’re going to be able to operate our safe consumption site,” Kayla DeMong said. “I think one of the hardest things is that things like this really continue to tell the people that are accessing our services that they don’t matter.”
Test strips for fentanyl and benzodiazepine contamination will continue to be available, as well as drug-checking infrared spectrometres, the province said. The government also said it will adjust the needle exchange program for public safety.
“Needle exchanges will be required to operate on an exchange basis. Getting back used needles that can be littered in communities or otherwise improperly disposed of is a core purpose of needle exchanges,” the release said.
The government said that needle exchange programs will be required to perform needle pickup services in the communities where they operate.
Adding Addiction Treatment Spaces
Saskatchewan’s Action Plan for Mental Health and Addictions was released in 2023, and part of the plan is to add at least 500 more addiction treatment spaces, the news release said.“The goal of the health care system should always be getting people the treatment they need to overcome addictions and live healthy, safe lives in recovery,” Mr. McLeod said. “How the health care system responds to people who have yet to walk the path to recovery needs to strike a balance with public safety priorities.”
However, Ms. DeMong said it was not as simple as it sounded.
“What we really need is publicly funded treatment that is longer than 28 days,” she said, adding that those with addiction need support for up to a year or more.
“We currently have about 300 people who are accessing our safe consumption sites, and the majority of them are homeless. There is no world where someone who is homeless is going to go into a treatment center, and then be released back out onto the street,” Ms. DeMong said.
The government said it would continue to provide naloxone for free, which is used to reverse overdoses from opioids.
The Government of Canada says the medication works to reverse negative reactions for individuals using fentanyl, heroin, morphine, and codeine.
BC ‘Safe Supply’ Challenges
Saskatchewan’s changes come as British Columbia has faced challenges with its pilot decriminalization program that started in early 2023.“I am satisfied ... that there are serious issues to be tried, that irreparable harm will be caused if the Act comes into force, and that the balance of convenience weighs in favour of the plaintiff,” B.C. Supreme Court Chief Justice Christopher Hinkson wrote in the decision.
The B.C. government said it was disappointed in the court’s decision and was considering next steps.
