Fatal overdoses linked to stimulants on the rise in Saskatchewan

The number people who died because of a stimulant-related overdose in Saskatchewan during 2021 was nearly three times the number reported for2018,according to a Public Health Agency of Canada report.

Saskatchewan's per capita rate ofoverdoses last year linked to stimulants, like crystal meth or cocaine,skyrocketed past all other provinces that submitted data.

That doesn't surpriseDr.LarissaKiesman, a family physician and the medical director at the Saskatoon Community Clinic in Westside.

"The community on the front lines hasbeen well aware of the increasing crystal methamphetamine crisis," she said.

Kiesman said year over year, the clinic has consistently documented 700-800 patients who screen positive for crystal meth. She said this means the overall numbers in the community are clearly much higher.

Most stimulant-related deaths also involved opioids

The data included in the PHAC reportsheds light on thenational public health overdose crisis. Numbers werebroken down into "age-adjusted rates," which are rates adjusted for existing differences by provincial and territorial age distributions using Canada's 2016 population as a reference.

Saskatchewan's age-adjusted rate for stimulant-related deaths was 20.6 per 100,000 people for 2021 substantially higher than Ontario's rate of 13.3 and British Columbia's 5.3. Saskatchewan's age-adjusted rate in 2018 was 7.5 per 100,000 people.

The majority of stimulant-related deaths in 2021also involved the presence of an opioid.

Kiesman said Saskatchewan medical professionals and people who use drugs lackinformation about what's actually in substances that are consumed in Saskatchewan. Much of the supply is tainted, and adrug may be sold under one name, but include one or more other potentially deadly substances.

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Shesaid meth is also abundant in the community.

'Social stabilization' needed: doctor

What's most concerning to the doctor is that the drug crisis will get worse. She said more people are living in unstable situations.Kiesmanhasseen peoplestruggling due to changes in the social services income assistanceprogrammingin the province.Meanwhile,homelessness has increasedin Saskatoon and the cost of living is going up.

We need to look at our community. We need to look at our structures and the policies that are in place to help people be healthy.- Dr. Larissa Kiesman, Saskatoon Community Clinic

Kiesman saidaddiction is a symptom of an unhealthy society rather than the cause of it.

"When we talk about crystal meth or opiates, we need to look at our community. We need to look at our structures and the policies that are in place to help people be healthy," she said.

"Unless we make sure that people can be housed and not be living in crushing poverty situations, it's really challenging to keep addiction away."

She said people living in precarious situations can often turn to stimulants and other drugs to cope with trauma.

But the drug use can turn fatal, andprolonged meth use can be destabilizing, leading to paranoia, psychosis, anxiety and mental health crisis,she said. Kiesmansaid people who reach this level of crisis may needhelp on many levels.

"If we just send people to the hospital, they might get medical stabilization, but they generally aren't getting that wraparound social stabilization that they need."

She's referring to stable housing, counselling and other outreach services.

"When people are actively using crystal meth,they need a safe place to be that isn't out in the streets and isn't the community."

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She said an integrated, coordinated hub of care that involves outreach andsocial services workers, as well as healthcare professionals, would be the optimal way to help people dealing with serious addictions.