Agencies across city joining forces to fight 'scourge' of crystal meth

When Debbie Roberts was in her mid-30s, she woke up in a Saskatoon hospital bed blind, partially deaf and with a tube coming out of her head to alleviate the pressure in her brain. Two weeks earlier, she had overdosed on crystal methamphetamine after injecting herself with the contents of a needle she believed contained the less potent hydromorphone.

Roberts is now in her early 40s, her vision partially restored, and she is the program coordinator at Saskatoon's Str8 Up — one of 29 agencies that are part of the newly-formed Safe Community Action Alliance working to address the community's escalating methamphetamine crisis.

Agencies across Saskatoon are joining forces to tackle the growing crystal methamphetamine crisis, recognizing that no single organization can address the scale and complexity of the problem alone. The SCAA brings together community-based organizations, government representatives, and business associations in a coordinated response.

The alliance was formed in 2017 as one of Saskatoon City Council's strategic directions involving community safety and well-being. Since then, it has grown to include 35 member organizations working together on immediate-term responses and long-term systemic solutions.

Find the full article at: The StarPhoenix