Province looks to make Naloxone more available as overdoses rise

As overdose calls and deaths continue to rise, the provincial government is looking to make the life-saving drug Naloxone more available.

Premier Scott Moe said last week the high numbers are disturbing and concerning, and it’s something people are dealing with across the country.

“We are dealing here with illegal substances that people are using and the recent number of overdoses that we have in Saskatchewan and more broadly across Canada are a concern to all leaders,” said Moe.

Moe said the province recently expanded the number of pharmacies where Naloxone is available, and the government is discussing lowering or even eliminating the cost of the kits.

“(The goal is) to ultimately make them available to the people that may need them or that may be witness to, ultimately, an overdose,” said Moe.

Many kits are given out free through a government program but some still have to pay a fee.

According to Moe, the government has been putting increasing amounts of money into mental health and addictions, including a $33-million increase in this past budget, and he said they’re focused on outcomes along with that money.

The NDP, however, believes the government isn’t doing enough.

In a release, the party said in the past two months overdose deaths in the province have nearly doubled, and police have responded to more than eight times as many overdoses this year than they did in all of 2019.

The NDP pointed out the Sask. Party declined to fund a safe injection site in the spring budget, and that advocates have been talking about a lack of access to addictions treatment in northern and remote areas of the province.

The Opposition is calling for a strategy on this issue and dedicated action to deal with opioid and meth addiction in Saskatchewan.