The Saskatchewan government started an awareness campaign today to help prevent deaths from opioid overdoses.

They're trying to increase public knowledge of how to recognize signs of an overdose, and the steps people should be taking next.

The province has been funding the dispersal of naloxone kits - which reverse the effects of an overdose - through the Saskatchewan Health Authority since April.

Community Mental Health and Addictions in Swift Current has handed out 84 kits since their fiscal year began in April and trained 96. Over that time they say the frequency of people coming for kits has increased.

Five replacement kits have been given out, which means the previous kit was either used, stolen, lost, or expired.

There are also kits sold privately in the area.

The province has given out 1,800 kits in total overall with 4,000 training sessions, and prevented over 100 deaths of overdose, according to the province's Mental Health and Addictions Director Kathy Willerth.