Meth crisis is a big problem in the province.
The number of people who died from an overdose of meth increased significantly compared to previous years. In addition, the number of people who are being treated for meth addiction has also increased.
Unfortunately, the number of people using meth is very large. Meth is cheap, easily accessible and the effect of use lasts for hours. However, the addiction comes as quickly as possible, so it is very difficult for people to abandon it after several times of use.
Meta can cause psychosis, paranoia, and hallucinations. Meth makes a person unpredictable, and doctors together with police officers face such behavior every day. The Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service had more than 700 calls concerning meth use this year, and this number is higher than last year’s one.
Winnipeg Police Service believes most drugs come from Mexico. There are huge laboratories in this country and they supply America and Canada. The police are trying to reduce the amount of drugs that are brought into the province but this problem is still very topical.
Bear Clan Patrol collected more than 30,000 needles on the streets of Winnipeg in 2018 and it is not over yet. City authorities are very concerned because last year only 4,000 needles were collected. The founder of the organization told that they lost two workers due to drugs this year.
Kim Longstreet of Brandon shared her story. Kim’s son is about 30 and he has been struggling his meth addiction for already two years. It is very hard for this woman to see how her son, a former university basketball player, is suffering. In woman’s opinion, the city treating programs are too short. Her son went through the treatment program more than 10 times and all programs were unsuccessful.
28 days is too little to treat people! - says the woman – People only start their way to a new life, as everything ends.
The Minister of Health also agreed that the treatment of dependence lasts longer than 28 days and said that the government will actively work on the problem.
NDP leader Wab Kinew said that there should be more treatment places and safe injection sites.
Friesen noted that good investments will come to help people suffering from this terrible addiction.
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