The Saskatchewan Government has proclaimed this week as National Addictions Awareness Week.
Mental Health and Addictions Minister Everett Hindley says this week is an opportunity to increase awareness, reduce stigma around addictions issues and to show people where to access help.
The province is investing $470-million in mental health and addiction services this year, including $67-million for initiatives related to prevention, detox, treatment and harm reduction.
That includes $2.1-million to support the first year of a 3-year commitment for 150 new addiction treatment beds across the province, in addition to 474 spaces already in place; and $1.72-million for up to 28 new detox beds and services in targeted communities across the province.
Other financial commitments include:
- $2.2 million to operate Rapid Access to Addictions Medicine clinics in North Battleford, Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon. These clinics provide quick access to specialized addiction treatment services, connect individuals to services, ongoing addiction treatment, mental health services and other community programs
- $3.8 million in harm reduction supports including annualized funding for the operation of community wellness buses, with the first bus to be launched in summer 2023; expanding access to fentanyl and benzodiazepine drug checking test strips and Take Home Naloxone kits; and supporting 30 fixed harm reduction sites and five mobile harm reduction vans to provide basic health care, safer supplies and outreach services to at-risk people in their neighborhoods in Saskatoon, Regina, Yorkton, North Battleford and most recently in Prince Albert.
- $1 million to support the Drug Task Force, a team of senior officers from government ministries, health agencies, police services in Regina and Saskatoon, RCMP F Division and others who are establishing community projects to address the challenging overdose situation in the province.
For messages of hope and recovery from Saskatchewan residents facing addiction and mental health challenges, visit: saskatchewan.ca/mental-health-awareness. To learn more about supports and ways to reduce the stigma of addictions and mental health, visit saskatchewan.ca/addictions. To learn more about overdose prevention, visit: saskatchewan.ca/overdose.