DEA Issues Alert on Rise of Fentanyl Mixed With Xylazine

In a public safety alert issued this week, the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) said it observed a sharp increase in the trafficking of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, a sedative also known as “Tranq” that has been approved by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for veterinary use.

“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said in a news release.

DEA reported that it has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 states, and the its lab system reports that about 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized in 2022 contained xylazine.

Mixing fentanyl and xylazine puts users at a higher risk for fatal drug poisoning, and because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal medication, does not reverse its effects. In addition to potentially fatal overdose, individuals injecting mixtures that include xylazine run the risk of developing severe wounds that could require amputation.

In November 2022, the FDA published an alert warning healthcare professionals of additional risks to patients who have been exposed to xylazine in illicit drugs.

A session on the emergence of xylazine in the US’s illicit drug supply will be presented at the upcoming Rx and Illicit Drug Summit, April 10-13 in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, visit rx-summit.com.

References

DEA reports widespread threat of fentanyl mixed with xylazine. News release. US Drug Enforcement Administration. March 20, 2023. Accessed March 21, 2023.

FDA alerts health care professionals of risks to patients exposed to xylazine in illicit drugs. News release. US Food & Drug Administration. November 8, 2022. Accessed March 21, 2023.