Blood Tribe community members voice concerns on drug crisis, detox facility

A former employee of a Blood Tribe wellness centre is speaking up over ongoing substance-related deaths that have plagued the reserve. Roger Prairie Chicken says that millions of dollars given to the Blood Tribe First Nation for detox beds and supports for those dealing with addiction are not being used for their intended purpose. He reports that in the last fiscal year, 184 Blood Tribe members have died, 57 percent of those deaths were alcohol-related, and more than half of the remaining were prescription-related. Prairie Chicken organized a rally on Wednesday afternoon in Standoff to give his community a chance to be heard.

Another major concern raised by the community alleged that clients of the Bringing the Spirit Home Detox Centre were being sold drugs by the centre staff.

UPDATE: The Blood Tribe Department of Health has issued a response to the above allegations. The update to this story is available here.