The Saskatchewan government is getting out of the business of pushing drug paraphernalia on people and addicts.That’s why there will be no more free crack pipes or instructions on how to use them from third party groups funded by the Saskatchewan Health Authority. Also, needle exchanges will be required to operate on an “exchange basis” meaning they’ll only be offered on a one-for-one basis, at safe consumption sites for example.In a news release Thursday, the province said the move “realigns” its health system approach to illicit drug use issues. Critics said it will increase the rate of drug overdose deaths and increase the spread of diseases such as HIV and AIDS.“Providing taxpayer-funded pipes for smoking illicit drugs and instructions for how to use them sends the wrong message to people who we want to help,” Mental Health and Addictions Minister Tim McLeod said. “Instead, the message coming from the health care system should be that there is hope for recovery and there is help available through treatment.”.To that end, the province will add at least 500 more addictions treatment spaces to the publicly-funded health care system to double capacity for treatment. The government is also working to implement a central intake system to make treatment more easily accessible to people when they need it.“The goal of the health care system should always be getting people the treatment they need to overcome addictions and live healthy, safe lives in recovery,” McLeod said. “How the health care system responds to people who have yet to walk the path to recovery needs to strike a balance with public safety priorities.”.Naloxone will continue to be provided for free through the ‘Take Home Naloxone’ program. Since it was introduced in 2015, more than 40,000 people have been trained to use the anti-overdose medication and nearly 10,000 overdoses have been reversed by members of the public with kits provided by the program. Drug testing strips will also continue to be available to police and those who use substances.But to “strike a balance with public safety priorities,” needle exchanges will be required to operate on an exchange basis to prevent used needles that can be littered in communities or otherwise improperly disposed of. The province said the other core purpose is to reduce the spread of bloodborne illnesses such as HIV and hepatitis C to avoid pressure on the health care system.But critics said the measures will disproportionately impact homeless people and native communities that already experience higher rates of addiction and infections from needle sharing..Saskatchewan already has some of the highest rates of HIV infection per capita in the country from contaminated needles. According to Health Canada data, Saskatchewan’s is 20.3 per 100,000 population compared to 3.8 nationally and 2.9 in BC. Alberta’s is 4.0.“It's not about funding illicit drug use, it's about keeping people alive,” said Prairie Harm Reduction director Kayla Demong. “The very little control we're able to keep on this situation, it's just going to explode. And it is directly related to our homeless population, our indigenous people of this province and people that aren't welcome anywhere else.”
