‘Get this poison out of our communities’: Province to continues enforcement amid Saskatoon overdose increase

WATCH: Leadership in Saskatchewan is reacting to the rise in overdoses in Saskatoon with emergency crews responding to an increase of calls all times of day.

Provincial leaders are weighing in on Saskatoon’s drug crisis as overdoses continue to occupy emergency crews.

“We have to continue to do aggressive work on the enforcement side to get this poison out of our communities,” Minister of Health Jeremy Cockrill said. “It is affecting families and individuals, and some people aren’t waking up today that woke up yesterday and that that’s concerning.”

Since Feb. 25, the Ministry of Health has issued a series of drug alerts, warning the public of an increased risk of overdose. The alert labels fentanyl or benzodiazepines as the two drugs causing concern.

Since Feb. 25th, the Saskatoon Fire Department has responded to over 180 overdose calls, including a high of 37 in one 24-hour period. The ministry says “several suspicious deaths may be connected to these overdoses.”

During a news availability Friday, Premier Scott Moe said he is committed to holding the people responsible for the harm it’s causing.

“The people that are putting this poison in our streets have no right to be on the streets providing that, and we’re going to remove the drugs from them, and we’re going to remove them from the streets of our community,” he said.

Saskatoon police aren’t able to say why only Saskatoon has been effected by the potent batch of drugs, but until overdose calls subside, the service will be accompanying the fire department to every call to help officers investigate, something it doesn’t usually do.

“People are getting their drugs from somewhere. and we would like to be able to identify and find out who that is or who the people are,” Saskatoon police spokesperson Keslie Fraser said.

Saskatchewan Health Authority leadership said the increased overdose risk is putting pressure on the health system, but emergency departments are holding strong so far.

“We’re in regular contact with our emergency department, and they have reported no significant increase in the number of overdose presentations over the past number of weeks,” John Ash, the vice president of integrated services, said.

In an email to CTV News, the Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service was unable to determine how many people have died of a suspected overdose since the public was alerted, but confirmed deaths are updated on the province’s website monthly.