Each week, the Weyburn Police Service has a regular number of calls to deal with mental health issues. In one instance last week, a woman was taken to the hospital. In another instance, a man had to be taken into custody.
"Usually one or two people we take to the hospital, and this one is a little different because we did have someone that was impaired by alcohol for a well-being check in public that had nowhere safe to go, so had to go in cells until sober until they were able to take care of themselves," said Deputy Chief Shane St. John. "But it's consistent week to week, it seems that eight to 10 calls we get."
He said the rise in mental health calls for police began just before Covid and has gone up over the past five years.
"The more dangerous drugs seem to change that too, like, especially methamphetamine addiction, it really changes that mental health. It has long-term mental health implications."
It's not just street drugs, however. St. John said even legal substances can affect psychology as well, and can even lead to psychosis.
"With marijuana addictions, you definitely see that paranoia. You definitely get a lot of paranoia, like scary paranoia. If you're smoking that much or using that much, however you use it, that it's causing mental health problems, then it's time to get some help," he said. "Alcohol addiction causes people to do things they would never ever do, so that the mental health is with that, as it is with every addiction, has mental health implications and affects people differently."