If the continuing fight against Methamphetamine, Opioids, specifically Heroin and Fentanyl, wasn’t enough, information of a new drug that is more deadly and with no antidote has begun to haunt the lives of those who use it and their loved ones who are sometimes left to pick up the pieces. Xylazine is a non- opioid animal tranquilizer, which is being mixed into Michigan street drugs, making the already deadly supply more dangerous, according to toxicologists and researchers. Xylazine is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration for human use. It cannot be purchased without a prescription or having a veterinary license.

 

Currently, it is still unknown how users have been getting the drug. Xylazine can be swallowed, inhaled, smoked, snorted, or injected into the muscle or vein.

Locally, law enforcement was first notified of this growing threat at a detective meeting in May of this year by the Michigan State Police 6th District Intelligence Analyst. Xylazine, or “tranq dope”, as it is called on the street, is believed to have been the factor in overdose deaths during this time period in
Osceola and Montcalm Counties, and possibly one in Mecosta as well, although never confirmed. Xylazine, is a fast-acting central nervous system depressant, which is showing up largely in fentanyl, the ultra-potent synthetic opioid that is mixed into heroin and pressed into counterfeit pills and responsible for more overdose deaths than any other drug. A fentanyl high is more intense than a heroin high, but also shorter lived. Adding xylazine to this product extends the feeling of euphoria they get from a fentanyl high. Adding xylazine to fentanyl, which is also a depressant, sadly increases the odds of overdoses.

Due to Xylazine not being an Opioid, an overdose involving this drug cannot be reversed by naloxone (Narcan). This does not mean if a person believes another is overdosing, they should not consider using naloxone. If it doesn’t appear to be working, then get immediate medical attention for that person by administering rescue breathing and getting them to a hospital emergency room. There they may be able to get the treatment they will need, such as further rescue breathing to secure the airway and the fluids and medication, they will need to increase the depressed blood pressure brought on by xylazine.

Xylazine first gained attention after being found in the drug supply on the east coast in the last 4-5 years. In the last 2-3 years, it appears to have made its way west, just like fentanyl before it, showing up in Michigan. Testing in Michigan for xylazine-involved deaths started in 2019. Michigan had at least 50 xylazine-involved deaths in 2019 and 70 in 2020.

 

A xylazine overdose looks similar to an opioid one, with those using it showing pinpoint pupils, loss of consciousness, slowed or no breathing. If use of the drug doesn’t kill you or stop you from breathing long enough to cause unrepairable brain damage, another complication is a skin abscess at the point of injection, leading to soft tissue damage. A theory of this being that decreased blood flow from xylazine keeps the wound from healing.

Concerning to me is we will continue to see a rise in use of this drug, adding to the already high number of overdose deaths in Michigan and across our country. I would bet to gather that most users are unaware that xylazine is being laced with the heroin or fentanyl they are purchasing on the street. Of concern is also the fact that the drug knocks people unconscious. Those taking
fentanyl cut with xylazine may black out and awaken hours later. This leaves those using it more vulnerable to harm, such being the victims of sexual assaults, or being passed out in poor environmental or weather conditions.

I don’t write this to be an alarmist, or to tell you the sky falling. I do this to continue to keep the general public informed on the trends we as society, and specifically law enforcement, are seeing. We have had missed opportunities in the past to get ahead of the curve when it comes to the opioid crisis, and prevalence of methamphetamine and fentanyl, to effectively respond to the dangers they bring. We have the chance to educate before xylazine takes over and becomes a lethal drug crisis we must fight.