New drug is not one to be messed with

Xylazine adds new layer of danger to drug abuse

When a drug’s street name is “Zombie Drug” or “tranq,” we have to think it’s bad news.

That’s the case with a new trend in the U.S. when drug dealers mix fentanyl or other drugs with an animal tranquilizer called xylazine.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, xylazine is a powerful sedative that has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for veterinary use.

Now, it’s being mixed illegally with fentanyl, and the DEA reports it has been found in 48 of the 50 states.

According to the DEA Laboratory System, in 2022, approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine.

“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram in a press release.

It’s challenging on multiple levels, but the biggest is the simple fact that xylazine is not an opioid – therefore, naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse the effects. So when it’s mixed with fentanyl, users face a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug overdose, the DEA notes.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse notes that overdose deaths linked to xylazine have spread westward across the

U.S., with the largest impact in the Northeast. However, it’s a situation of which Yumans need to be informed.

The NIDA notes xylazine is a central nervous system depressant that can cause drowsiness and amnesia and can slow breathing, heart rate and blood pressure to dangerously low levels. “Taking opioids in combination with xylazine and other central nervous system depressants – like alcohol or benzodiazepines – increases the risk of life-threatening overdose,” NIDA reports.

The drug can be injected, snorted, swallowed or inhaled, NIDA reports.

Repeated xylazine use is associated with skin ulcers and severe wounds – including necrosis, the rotting of human tissue – that could lead to amputation, NPR reports.

The New York Times recently did an in-depth article looking at the problem of xylazine in Philadelphia, which has been hard-hit with the drug. More than 90 percent of Philadelphia’s lab-tested dope samples were positive for xylazine, the Times reports.

The problem is so extensive, one outreach worker told the Times, “It’s too late for Philly. Philly’s supply is saturated. If other places around the country have a choice to avoid it, they need to hear our story.”

We know that illegal drugs are a problem, and we know that fentanyl has a footprint in Yuma County already. Local law enforcement agencies warned the public about xylazine recently, but noted so far, the drug has yet to be seen here. However, it has been reported in Phoenix, and it’s something we need to be aware of here – and something we need to warn our kids about.

San Luis Police’s Lt. Marco Santana perhaps said it best. He noted he has two daughters ages 12 and 15. “I speak with them constantly. I tell them about the dangers of these kinds of things, and tell them to be very careful about who they hang out with. We can’t say, ‘I don’t think anything is going to happen.’ This has to be taken seriously.”

We couldn’t’ agree more. Talk to your kids and your friends. Make sure they are aware of this new drug, and please – stay safe, readers.

Unsigned editorials represent the viewpoint of this newspaper rather than an individual. Columns and letters to the editor represent the viewpoints of the persons writing them and do not necessarily represent the views of the Yuma Sun.