The State of Delaware’s Department of Health and Social Services, Division of Public Health, Office of Emergency Medical Services has issued an email alert to first responders across the state regarding the increasing presence of Xylazine and Medetomidine in the illicit drug supply.
Medetomidine and the potentially more potent Xylazine have been detected in drugs circulating within Delaware and surrounding states according to the email sent this week. These substances pose severe health risks and present significant challenges for overdose treatment.
The email, sent to first responders by Dr. Robert A. Rosenbaum, the State EMS Medical Director, warns of the dangers associated with Xylazine and Medetomidine. According to the Overdose Response Center (ORC), Medetomidine is known to cause severe sedation, bradycardia (heart rate under 60), hypotension (blood pressure under 90/60), muscle twitching, and gastrointestinal issues such as vomiting. In extreme cases, it can lead to central nervous system depression and death read the email viewed by First State Update.
The email outlines the steps first responders should take and treatment options if an overdose is suspected.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) previously reported a sharp increase in the trafficking of fentanyl mixed with Xylazine. Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a powerful sedative that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for veterinary use.
“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said Administrator Milgram. “DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 States. The DEA Laboratory System is reporting that in 2022 approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine.”
Xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning. Because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse its effects. Still, experts always recommend administering naloxone if someone might be suffering a drug poisoning. People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine also can develop severe wounds, including necrosis—the rotting of human tissue—that may lead to amputation.
According to the CDC, 107,735 Americans died between August 2021 and August 2022 from drug poisonings, with 66 percent of those deaths involving synthetic opioids like fentanyl. The Sinaloa Cartel and Jalisco Cartel in Mexico, using chemicals largely sourced from China, are primarily responsible for the vast majority of the fentanyl that is being trafficked in communities across the United States.