'It's terrifying': Prairie Harm Reduction fears shutdown as Sask. denies funding for supervised consumption sites

Prairie Harm Reduction (PHR) says it fears having to close its doors after the Saskatchewan government announced this week it would not fund supervised consumption sites in the province.

Executive Director Kayla DeMong told CTV News Friday this is the first time questions about being open in one year’s time have come up.

“It’s terrifying,” she said. “If we had resources in place it wouldn’t be as scary.”

There are just two safe consumption sites in Sask. The Newo-Yotina Friendship Centre in Regina and PHR in Saskatoon.

Neither receive operational funding from the provincial government.

PHR relies solely on donations and merchandise sales to offer services.

“We are the only safe injection site in the world running without any funding whatsoever,” DeMong said.

This week, the government pledged in its throne speech to not supply illegal drugs in hospitals or public clinics.

Minister of Mental Health and Addictions Tim McLeod added Thursday that supervised consumption does not solve addictions.

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“If you are using illicit and potentially deadly drugs, you are not leading a healthy life,” he told reporters. “We want to transition individuals down a path of recovery.”

At the beginning of the month, the government announced a plan to address the province’s addiction crisis, adding 500 new treatment spaces across the province.

Demong believes safe consumption is a starting point for individuals to access social services like treatment or supportive housing.

“It’s about bringing people in, not pushing them out,” she said. “It’s about being able to make sure they’re living each day.”

“That alone should be reason enough,” DeMong added.

According to the Saskatchewan Coroners service, 369 confirmed or suspected drug toxicity deaths have occurred this year.

DeMong said that number would be worse if not for safe consumption sites.

“I have no doubt about that,” she added. “It’s not only about providing them a place to use substances. Its about linkages to health care, mental health resources and social supports.”

The Sask. government does provide funding to Newo-Yotina and PHR for drug testing.

“My fear is if we ignore front-line workers and experts, we are going to see more people dying,” said NDP mental health and addictions critic Vicki Mowat. “This is not a unique problem. We know what can work in these situations.”

McLeod suggested more details on the government’s plan to address harm reduction would be announced in the coming weeks.