REGINA Documents show that Saskatchewan health officials who were considering a proposal for the province’s first supervised drug consumption site found such…
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Documents show that Saskatchewan health officials who were considering a proposal for the province’s first supervised drug consumption site found such spaces save lives and money without risking public safety.
The information is contained in briefing notes prepared for the deputy minister of health on a request from the site’s organizers for $1.4-million a year to help keep it running 24-7. The government decided not to commit any cash.
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REGINA Documents show that Saskatchewan health officials who were considering a proposal for the province’s first supervised drug consumption site found such spaces save lives and money without risking public safety.
The information is contained in briefing notes prepared for the deputy minister of health on a request from the site’s organizers for $1.4 million a year to help keep it running 24-7. The government decided not to commit any cash.
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Try refreshing your browser, or Sask. gov t rejected funding despite advice drug consumption sites save lives: notes Back to video
Fundraising in the community allowed the site to open its doors last October, but at reduced hours. It s pretty impossible to argue that we don t need them in Saskatchewan, said executive director Jason Mercredi. The scientific evidence shows that (supervised consumption sites) save lives, said one briefing note.
The sites are meant to be safe injection or ingestion sites for all drugs, but primarily deal with opioids such as fentanyl.
The document cited data that shows more than 4,600 reported overdoses have been reversed without a single death since 2017 at sites across Canada.
It also said the programs can reduce health-care costs by preventing overdoses and reducing infections from drug injection.
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