IS DRIVING SAFER THAN WALKING? –
June 24, 2023 – U.S. regulators approved xylazine in 1971 to sedate animals for surgery, dental procedures and handling purposes.
In humans, the drug can cause breathing and heart rates to drop. It’s also linked to severe skin ulcers and abscesses, which can lead to infections, rotting tissue and amputations. Experts disagree on the exact cause of the wounds, which are much deeper than those seen with other injectable drugs.
In Philadelphia, the drug’s introduction has created a host of new challenges.
Naloxone, a medication used revive people who have stopped breathing, doesn’t reverse the effects of xylazine. Philadelphia officials stress that naloxone should still be administered in all cases of suspected overdose, since xylazine is almost always found in combination with fentanyl.
With no approved reversal drug for xylazine, the Savage Sisters group has taken to carrying oxygen tanks to help revive people.
Meanwhile, a roaming van staffed by local health workers and city staffers aims to treat the skin wounds before they require hospitalization.
The wounds can make it harder to get people into addiction treatment programs, which typically don’t have the expertise to treat deep lesions that can expose tissue and bone.
“If you have someone out there who’s ready to come in for treatment, you really want to act on that quickly,” said Jill Bowen, who runs Philadelphia’s behavioral health department.
