The number of deaths related to drug toxicity in the province has surpassed last year’s total, with two months still left in the year.

From January 1 to November 3 of this year, 363 deaths throughout the province have been confirmed or are suspected to be drug-toxicity related.

The Saskatchewan Coroners Services published that statistics earlier this week that showed drug toxicity has been confirmed in 161 cases, with the
additional 202 being suspected to be related to drug toxicity, with some of those matters still under investigation.

The province’s total of 363, with two months still left in the year, surpasses the 2020 total of 330 (314 confirmed, 16 suspected).

Of the deaths, 81 have been recorded in Regina, almost doubling Saskatoons number of 42.

That trend is continued from 2020, where Regina reported 139 deaths related to drug toxicity while Saskatoon reported 73 deaths.

Fentanyl and its different varieties appear to be involved in many of the reported drug toxicity-related deaths in Saskatchewan.