
Regina, SK – The Government of Saskatchewan is expanding access to fentanyl and benzodiazepine drug checking strips, to help curb the number of overdose deaths in our province. These test strips are now available to the general public for the purpose of at home drug checking.
Fentanyl is 50-100 times more toxic than other opioids. Of 149 confirmed accidental drug toxicity deaths in Saskatchewan in 2021, 108 (72 per cent) involved fentanyl. People who use drugs often do not know if fentanyl is present. It cannot be seen, smelled or tasted.
Mixing benzodiazepines (benzos) with opioids increases the risk of overdose, because they both have sedative properties. As well, naloxone, which normally reverses the effects of an opioid overdose, is not effective in counteracting benzos.
Take home test strips are now available at over 30 locations across the province. To find the closest location for pickup, the public can visit saskatchewan.ca/overdose.
Lloydminster locations
As of publishing, at-home test kits are available at:
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Lloydminster Mental Health and Addictions
3830 43 Avenue
306-820-6250 - Lloydminster Mental Health and Addictions, Medical Clinic, Prairie North Plaza
115 - 4910 50th Street
306-820-2592
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. These strips are an additional tool to limit potential overdoses.
The Ministry of Health asks all those using street drugs to not use alone. Use the buddy system or call the National Overdose Response Service at 1-888-688-6677. Naloxone kits to reverse opioid overdoses are available throughout the province. Visit saskatchewan.ca/opioids for more information.
In the event of an overdose, call 911. Under the Good Samaritan Act, you will not be charged for possession of an illegal substance if you are calling for assistance during an overdose.
The Ministry of Health is investing a record $458 million for mental health and addictions services in 2021-22, an increase of $23.4 million over last year's budget. Of that investment, $2.6 million is specifically for harm reduction initiatives across the province, an increase of $1.4 million from last year. Test strips for drug checking is one of several new harm reduction initiatives being funded this year.
This release is distributed by the City of Lloydminster on behalf of the Government of Saskatchewan.