Rural Sask. lacking support for drug users, says woman in recovery – CBC

Treatment beds, drug testing strips difficult to access

Jan 18, 2023

Brooke Jasper was taking opioids every hour or two at the height of her drug addiction.

The Yorkton, Sask., woman lost custody of her kids and ended up homeless in Regina, all precipitated by an abusive relationship, she said.

“Some days I went without eating. Some days I was having trouble finding somewhere to sleep,” said the now-31-year-old.

Still, she considers herself lucky.

Last year, 421 deaths in Saskatchewan were confirmed or suspected to be from drug overdoses, making it the deadliest year on record, according to the Saskatchewan Coroners Service.

Jasper said she’s had Naloxone, a treatment that temporarily reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, administered on her between 50 and 100 times.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/rehab-overdose-drugs-sask-1.6718115