Red Pheasant Cree Nation declares state of emergency after series of weekend overdoses

A series of overdoses over the weekend led Red Pheasant Cree Nation to declare a state of emergency.

In a news release Saturday, the Cree Nation in Saskatchewan declared a state of emergency after seven overdoses were reported in one day in the community.

Audrey Bouvier, health director at Red Pheasant Cree Nation, said the community had four overdoses on Friday, three on Saturday and one on Sunday. None of the eight overdoses were fatal as emergency services responded in time.

"We're sitting at eight overdoses at this time. We were also able to get our staff at the health clinic, and our nurses to deliver Narcan to each household to prevent the overdoses and the death rate," she said.

These numbers, Bouvier explained, are corroborated with ambulance visits. She said many "want to keep it discreet" and do not call for ambulances. Bouvier said there could have been up to seven overdoses on Friday, although ambulances only responded to four.

She said this crisis is mainly caused by the proliferation of fentanyl in the community, but thanks the nurses for preventing deaths.

''They were able to do CPR and Narcan. Narcan is what saved ... the overdoses in the community.''

She adds that since the beginning of the year, more than 10 deaths related to overdose were reported in the community that has about 900 residents. 

"We were having funerals every week at that time.… Right now, the overdoses are in such an increase in our youth."

Training in naloxone use did help to decrease overdoses in the community, Bouvier said, but they recently shot up again. The community will be providing more training in the week.

"I barely got any sleep this weekend. I was on call this weekend doing my job as a health director to prevent any deaths."

The leaders of the First Nation community said in a Sunday news release that residents are living in fear due to the rise of violence linked to drug consumption has many residents living in fear, and some are reluctant to co-operate with RCMP.

''The drug problem in our community is a serious and complex issue that requires a co-ordinated and effective response from various stakeholders," Chief Lux Benson said in the release. 

"One of the key partners we need in this effort is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), who have the mandate and the expertise to enforce the law and disrupt the supply of illicit substances. We urge the RCMP to step up and help us address this challenge by increasing their presence, resources and collaboration.''