SWIFT CURRENT - Swift Current Municipal RCMP is warning the public of a dangerous illicit drug circulating in the Swift Current area following a suspected overdose death.
On May 20, Swift Current Municipal RCMP were dispatched to assist EMS at three calls where individuals were suffering overdose symptoms. One individual was declared deceased by medical personnel.
Saskatchewan Ministry of Health has in relation to these events.
Swift Current Municipal RCMP’s investigation to date has determined a purple substance is being sold locally as molly (MDMA). This substance has been located in the Swift Current area previously; however, there may be a quantity circulating that is potentially laced with an unknown opioid – no specific drug composition details are known at this time.
Swift Current Municipal RCMP and the Saskatchewan Coroners Service continue to investigate.
An overdose is a medical emergency. If you witness one, call 911 immediately. Emergency responders, including frontline Saskatchewan RCMP officers, carry naloxone, a fast-acting drug used to temporarily reverse the effects of overdoses caused by opioids.
You have some legal protection if you call for help. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection for individuals who seek emergency help during an overdose, including the person experiencing an overdose. The Act protects the person who seeks help, whether they stay or leave from the overdose scene before help arrives.
Getting dangerous illicit drugs off the street continues to be a top priority for the Saskatchewan RCMP. If you have information about drug trafficking in your area, you can report it to your local detachment by calling 310-RCMP (7267), or Crime Stoppers by calling 1鈥�800鈥�222鈥怲IPS (8477) or submitting a tip online at .
Saskatchewan NDP Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Addictions Betty Nippi-Albright said in a news release she is saddened by the tragedy of the overdoses in Swift Current.
"I am deeply saddened to learn of several drug overdoses in Swift Current, including one that resulted in a death," she said. "What we’re seeing in Swift Current is happening right across the province. These are not isolated incidents. The drug crisis is not contained within one or two cities – it has spread right across the province and will continue to take the lives of our youth."
Nippi-Albright noted that victims are often young people, "the future," and they need help.
"The Sask. Party has been cutting funding for Mental Health supports and services for the last 18 years. Now, we face a drug crisis unlike any I can remember in my lifetime," she added.
"The Sask. Party must take action to address drug addiction and to crack down on deadly substances. We know there have been at least 120 confirmed and suspected drug-related deaths in Saskatchewan already this year. And those are just the numbers we know," Nippi-Albright said. "We need more investment in addictions treatment, mental health supports and more investment in frontline police officers and support agencies that are working around the clock to save lives."
