From meth seizures in Swift Current, to largely meth-fuelled rises in crime in larger cities, and even busts for drug trafficking here in the Southeast, meth was in the headlines a lot in 2019 and early 2020. The issue has been prevalent across the prairies, and the recent Municipalities Of Saskatchewan (MOS) meeting showed just how far the problem of meth is spreading. 

Estevan Mayor Roy Ludwig attended the recent MOS meeting in Regina, where Mayors and local politicians gathered to talk about the problems they all face. Meth was a popular topic of conversation among the attendees. 

"We're well aware in our community that it's a problem," Ludwig said. "We understand it's a problem right across Canada. It's even worse in the northern communities. It's very unfortunate. There are no easy answers."

In early 2019, VICE published a report saying crystal meth overdose deaths were on the rise, and police seizures of the drug had gone way up as well. Later that same year, a report from the Regina Leader Post said deaths from meth and police seizures have both more than doubled over the last five years. 

Meanwhile, here in Estevan, two meth seizures in the first week of 2020 were a sign that the substance is indeed still around in the Southeast. In June of 2019, a four-year-old girl was rushed to hospital after ingesting meth at a birthday party by accident. The rise in meth related incidents has the city thinking outside the box a bit for solutions. 

"We're looking at getting more mental health assistance," said Ludwig. "For example, a mental health person that would help, because we're finding that 60-65 per cent of our calls are mental health related. That includes addiction, addiction problems. That really would be valuable I know the chief (police chief Paul Ladouceur) is working on getting a person in place here in our community."

For some police officers, however, dealing with meth users has been part of their job for years, and the current spotlight on meth hasn't changed that. Staff Sergeant Darren Simons of the Carlyle RCMP says the rise in use is less prominent than the rise in awareness.

"I wouldn't even say we're having more of a problem with meth," he said. "I think it's just people are recognizing and accepting that it's there.We've had methamphetamine in our area for quite a while. But now people have become more aware of it or accepting that it's there and have to acknowledge the fact that the police, we've been dealing with this for quite a few years. Now it's becoming more newsworthy and people can't ignore it anymore."

Simons did say what he feels is increased knowledge on the public's part is helping them understand the predicament police are in. He said the rise in awareness goes directly back to knowledge, and maybe even person experience with the drug. 

"I've found a lot of times over my career," he said, "things are there and we can make a report on it and no one acknowledges it. But then when it becomes personal to someone, then it becomes more of an issue."

According to Medical News Today, methamphetamine produces a similar high to cocaine, but with far more addictive properties and more health risks associated with it.