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Cory Cardinal almost became one of the numbers.
He remembers taking a hit, then blackness. If someone had not helped, he suspects the overdose would have killed him.
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For many there, the estimated 336 people who died of an overdose in 2020 are not numbers but friends, relatives and neighbours. The operation of such sites can be the difference between of life and death.
âI know for a fact if I had a safe place to go, I wouldnât be so ashamed of my addiction. And I wouldnât be out using by myself, using dangerously,â Cardinal said.
Article content
Cory Cardinal almost became one of the numbers.
He remembers taking a hit, then blackness. If someone had not helped, he suspects the overdose would have killed him.
We apologize, but this video has failed to load.
Try refreshing your browser, or Sask. government knows safe consumption sites save lives â but won t fund them Back to video
For many there, the estimated 336 people who died of an overdose in 2020 are not numbers but friends, relatives and neighbours. The operation of such sites can be the difference between of life and death.
âI know for a fact if I had a safe place to go, I wouldnât be so ashamed of my addiction. And I wouldnât be out using by myself, using dangerously,â Cardinal said.
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Saskatchewan’s government will not fund safe consumption sites for people who use drugs, despite advocates’ cries for help after a record-setting year of overdose deaths.
Instead, the province’s 2021-22 budget includes partnerships with policing agencies, $2 million in funding for youth-centred mental health treatment, and services that aim to reduce other harms of drug use.
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The budget also includes a combined $500,000 to address higher need for mental health and addictions services during the pandemic.
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