(STUDY FINDS) — The opioid crisis continues to deepen. Canadian researchers are issuing a dire warning about the growing presence of xylazine, a drug originally intended for veterinary use, in the illicit opioid market. They found this drug is resistant to naloxone, which can treat and reverse opioid overdoses.
Xylazine, which is not approved for human consumption, is increasingly being mixed with fentanyl, a powerful opioid, in the street drug supply, according to the study authors. This combination poses a significant risk as people using these drugs may not be aware of xylazine’s presence.
Researchers stress the importance of suspecting xylazine contamination when naloxone, a medication used to reverse opioid overdoses, does not seem to work effectively.
