Xylazine Threat In New Hampshire: Feds Issue Warning Over Fentanyl Mixture

CONCORD, NH — Federal drug authorities are warning people in New Hampshire about a sharp increase in trafficking in a deadly new fentanyl cocktail cut with the common veterinary sedative xylazine, also known as “Tranq.”

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration said in a public safety alert that xylazine “is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier.”

In New Hampshire, state health officials warned residents of the increased presence of the animal tranquilizer last month. Xylazine-positive overdose deaths doubled in the Northeast between 2020 and 2021.

“The increased presence of xylazine circulating in the Northeast is concerning,” Dr. Jonathan Ballard, Chief Medical Officer for DHHS, stated. “When added to opioid drugs like heroin and fentanyl, it may increase the risk of overdose and death.”

Xylazine isn’t an opioid, so the overdose reversal drug naloxone — Narcan — doesn’t work, putting users at a greater risk of overdose, the DEA said. Tranq causes a range of other serious medical problems, including severe wounds at the injection point or necrosis — the rotting of human tissue — that may lead to amputation.

According to CNN, the White House is looking at xylazine as a potential “emerging threat,” meaning they would develop a federal plan to address it.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates two-thirds of all drug overdose deaths in the United States are fentanyl-related. Previously released provisional data may have undercounted drug overdose deaths due to reporting delays, the agency said.

Now, with the revised data, the CDC projects that 4,500 more people than previously thought may have died of overdoses from the 12-month period ending in October 2022. According to the most recent projections, 107,689 people died of drug overdoses during the period.

In New Hampshire, overdose deaths in 2022 were the highest since 2017 — 463, with 14 more cases to be examined, compared to 490.

In 2022, nearly a quarter (23 percent) of all fentanyl powder and 7 percent of all fentanyl pills seized in investigations contained xylazine, the DEA said. Xylazine and fentanyl mixtures were seized in 48 of 50 states.

If you suspect xylazine may be involved in an overdose, follow these steps: Call 911. Use naloxone (Narcan). Though the effects of xylazine cannot be reversed using naloxone, xylazine often is used alongside opioids, which naloxone can reverse, so it should always be administered.

NH DHHS has issued information to healthcare providers on how to respond and treat xylazine misuse and overdoses. Anyone can get help with substance use disorder (SUD) by accessing the Doorway, or call 2-1-1.

Have you got a news tip? Please send it to tony.schinella@patch.com. View videos on Tony Schinella's YouTube.com channel or Rumble.com channel.