Sask. government increases access to tests that can detect fentanyl in street drugs
Fentanyl and benzodiazepine drug checking strips are now available at more than 30 locations across Saskatchewan for the purpose of at home drug checking.
The increase in availability comes after the province began offering the strips in Regina and Saskatoon earlier this year.
"This is a major step to help reduce the risk of overdoses throughout Saskatchewan," Prairie Harm Reduction executive director Jason Mercredi said in a news release.
With the expansion, the testing strips will be available in many northern communities including Buffalo Narrows, La Loche and La Ronge.
"Prairie Harm Reduction is pleased to be a partner with the Government of Saskatchewan to ensure this harm reduction tool is widely available to everyone in Saskatchewan, both urban and rural."
Fentanyl, which cannot be seen, smelled or tasted, is 50 to 100 times more toxic than other opioids.
Of 149 confirmed accidental overdose deaths in Saskatchewan in 2021, 108 involved fentanyl, according to the province.
Mixing benzodiazepines (benzos) with opioids increases the risk of overdose, because they both have sedative properties.
Naloxone, which normally reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, is not effective in counteracting benzos, the province says.
A negative result on a test strip does not guarantee the substance is safe. Test strips only check if certain fentanyl or benzos compounds are present in the portion of the drugs tested.
They do not detect other drugs and do not show the amount of fentanyl or benzos present in the substance.
"We are grateful anytime we see the adoption of evidence based harm reduction measures on a large scale," provincial lead of Mom's Stop the Harm Canada Marie Agioritis said in the release.
"It gives me hope that someone else's mother could be spared the pain of burying a child. These test strips will save lives. Let's get them into the hands of people who need them."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
developing Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Kinew, Poilievre meet at Manitoba legislature, discuss each other's priorities
Premier Wab Kinew and federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre met at the Manitoba legislature Thursday afternoon.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.