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Dec. 23, 2021 – Supportive measures can be used if a person is attended to early enough, such as resuscitation, getting them fluids and other sorts of hospital care, Hadland said. “But this is much more difficult to manage out in the community because it’s inevitably going to be an overdose that involves multiple substances including opioids,” he said.

While the rate of overdose deaths where xylazine was listed as a cause of death was low at 1.2%, the report states that the animal tranquilizer’s detection may be underestimated. That’s because routine post-death toxicology tests “might not have included tests for xylazine, and current testing protocols for xylazine are not standard.”

“It has been going on for a time but there’s also a lot of indications from local authorities that the problem is worsening, particularly here in the Northeast,” said Hadland.

One or more other drugs were also listed as the cause of the overdose deaths, including heroin and cocaine, with fentanyl being the most common, according to the CDC report.

“Fentanyl we know to be in the drug supply. We know it’s in the heroin supply, so often when you think you’re buying heroin, you’re in fact getting fentanyl. I think that’s what’s happening with xylazine,” Hadland said. “You think you’re getting heroin and you’re getting something that’s cut with xylazine.”

Nationally, overdose deaths have been rising for more than two decades but surged 30% in the latest year. Health officials say the jump is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply.

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