Letter Writing

If you would like to offer your voice to those calling on Government of Saskatchewan and the new legislative changes being proposed

Copy and paste the following email message and send it to the emails below.

OPEN LETTER: PROPOSED DRUG LEGISLATION CHANGES WILL HURT, NOT HELP

The recent proposed changes to drug legislation—targeting substances like methamphetamine and fentanyl, restricting needle distribution, and increasing criminal penalties—are a step in the wrong direction. These measures will not reduce drug use or improve community safety. Instead, they will cause more harm, driving people further into unsafe conditions, increasing overdose deaths, and placing an even greater burden on emergency services and the healthcare system.

Criminalization has been tried before, and it has failed. Evidence from Canada and around the world shows that punitive approaches do not stop drug use; they only make it more dangerous. When people fear arrest, they are less likely to seek help, use harm reduction services, or access treatment. Policies that prioritize harm reduction—such as safe consumption sites, needle distribution programs, and decriminalization—are proven to save lives, reduce public drug use, and connect people with the healthcare and support services they need.

These proposed legislative changes threaten to undo progress in addressing the overdose crisis and will disproportionately harm marginalized and vulnerable individuals. We urge the government to reconsider these harmful policies and instead invest in evidence-based solutions that prioritize public health and community well-being.

The overdose crisis is not a crime problem—it is a public health emergency. The government should be funding mental health and addiction support services, expanding harm reduction initiatives, and looking at models of decriminalization that have successfully reduced drug-related harm in other regions.

We call on elected officials to listen to frontline workers, healthcare professionals, and people with lived experience. We need policies that actually save lives—not reactionary legislation that only makes things worse.

We encourage individuals, organizations, and community leaders to speak out against these changes. Contact your representatives, share this message, and demand evidence-based solutions that prioritize compassion, safety, and dignity for all.

Sincerely.

YOUR NAME"

Send your email to the following emails: premier@gov.sk.ca,  fin.minister@gov.sk.ca, minister.rrhe@gov.sk.ca, he.minister@gov.sk.ca riversdale.mla@sasktel.net