(File photo/CKOM News)

By Jaryn Vecchio

Overdoses

Confirmed drug overdoses currently down across Northern Saskatchewan, suspected deaths still being investigated

Oct 6, 2021 | 4:00 PM

Several communities across Northern Saskatchewan are currently on pace to see a drop in the number of overdose-related deaths year-over-year.

According to data from the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, Buffalo Narrows, Canoe Narrows, Ile a la Crosse, La Loche, La Ronge, Little Red First Nation, Lloydminster, Marshall, Melfort, Nipawin, North Battleford, Pierceland, Shellbrook, Spiritwood, and Uranium City are seeing fewer deaths than last year.

Nearly all these areas have had no confirmed deaths through the first nine months of 2021.

Lloydminster has had two, while North Battleford has had one.

The city of Prince Albert, combined with the rural municipality of Prince Albert, have seen five deaths. In 2020, the two areas totaled for 10 overdoses.

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Across the entire province, there have been 132 confirmed deaths with the majority happening in Regina and Saskatoon.

First Nations people have accounted for 49 deaths, the most among all ethnicities.

Forty-three of the individuals have been Caucasian, while all other ethnicities have seen fewer than 10 overdoses.

There are 171 other deaths believed to have been caused by drug toxicity.

When added together, there are 303 confirmed and suspected deaths in the first nine months of the year. There were 319 in all of 2020.

If a suspected case is confirmed, it will be added to the individual’s community’s total.

The Saskatchewan Coroners Service didn’t specify where these overdoses took place.

Fentanyl continues to be the main driving cause of overdoses in the province, however, acetylfentanyl continues to be an increasing problem.

This drug, which the World Health Organization claims is nearly 16 times more potent than morphine, caused 10 deaths in 2019.

In 2020, it accounted for 141 deaths and so far in 2021, 79.

In Northern Saskatchewan, it’s caused fatal overdoses for two individuals in Lloydminster and separate people in P.A. and North Battleford.

Meanwhile, these numbers are expected to rise across the province.

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Jaryn.Vecchio@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @princealbertnow