Chad Kobelsky has been clean from methamphetamine for over ten months after a three-year addiction that he says nearly destroyed his life.

Saying the drug helped mask troubles he was experiencing, the 43-year-old, married with two children steamfitter from Mossbank is now using his first-hand experience to help others and get the word out that there is hope for addicts.

"I really want to offer my experience. I've done a few different things and I just want to put it out there and be there for people to understand, and meet someone to connect to."

Kobelsky now works with the Moose Jaw Crystal Meth Strategy Committee and the John Howard Society to speak about his experiences and help others that might be facing addictions.

As of January 2019, Kobelsky had been arrested a few times for various breaches of court orders and was facing serious jail time. Since none of the charges against him were the result of violent crimes, he was given the option of going through Drug Treatment Court, which got him started on recovery.

Through Drug Treatment Court, Kobelsky was able to beat his addiction and now he's sharing his message with others.

He explains how addiction affected him.

"Ultimately I know what I'm missing, I know what I've lost from before I had an addiction, and I want that back. A big support system has really helped me lots."

He’s now been through three detox programs, completed a 35-day treatment program, and has worked through the requirements that resulted from Drug Treatment Court decisions, which he graduated from in January of this year.

Looking back over the past year, Kobelsky says he’s grateful that he had no choice but to stop using crystal meth because he may not have reached out for help to stop.

"It took a lot to get out of it, then I went to treatment which helped a lot. I worked the last year for the Drug Court, which is like a year-long treatment. It took a lot of work but it's going really good now."

In Regina, there have been 85 reported drug overdoses since January 1. Police responded to 51 of those cases, and Narcan had to be administered 18 times.