Trending
Do you remember a few years ago when Naloxone came along, and though there were complaints about the cost, for many it was a huge blessing.
And have you given any thought to the fact that every time something helpful in the drug war comes along, the villains come back with something else?
Last fall the Drug Enforcement Administration released a joint intelligence report, "The Growing Threat of Xylazine and Its Mixture with Illicit Drugs," which states the abuse of xylazine may be under-reported because all jurisdictions do not include xylazine in forensic laboratories or toxicology testing because it is not listed as a controlled substance.
Gov. Mike DeWine has signed a bill directing the Ohio Board of Pharmacy to immediately classify xylazine as a Schedule III controlled substance. He said the rate of overdose deaths is increasing at an alarming rate.
"There is a presence in Ohio, and we've found it in toxicology reports. It is frequently mixed with heroin, fentanyl, or new synthetic opioids such as nitazene," the governor's statement advises.
The director of the state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, Lori Criss, recently explained the serious health consequences, in addition to potential for overdose death, to the House Finance Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.
"It creates large open wounds that are very difficult to care for and heal from," she said. "Our best strategy is community education and harm-reduction strategies to make sure people are not becoming seriously ill or debilitated and that we can prevent the spread of this drug in our communities."
Xylazine is a non-opioid tranquilizer, also known as "Tranq," that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved only for veterinary use in large animals, like horses. "Veterinary practices may still administer xylazine to animals, but must obtain a Category 3 Terminal Distributor of Dangerous Drugs license by June 30, to be permitted to order xylazine from a licensed wholesaler," reports the Gongwer news service.
The DEA reports widespread threat of fentanyl mixed with xylazine in a public safety alert.
The drug is being mixed with fentanyl, itself a dangerous substance. "Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced -- fentanyl -- even deadlier," says the DEA. "DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 states." The alert goes on to advise that injecting xylazine also can develop severe wounds including necrosis (rotting of human tissue) that may lead to amputation.
During the 12 months between August 2021 and August 2022, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 107,735 Americans died of poisoning from drugs, and 66 percent of those deaths involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl.
The DEA also states that "the Sinaloa Cartel and the Jalisco Cartel in Mexico are using chemicals largely sourced from China and are responsible for the vast amount of fentanyl being trafficked across the United States."
"Withdrawal symptoms from xylazine are as, or more, severe than heroin or methadone, and include sharp chest pains and seizures. There is no antidote for human use." It may render naloxone less effective but may prevent death. "But responders may not be aware that xylazine intoxication is a factor." If they don't know xylazine is involved, they won't know to use other life-saving methods when Naloxone reverses only part of the symptoms.
As Family Recovery Center approaches its 50th anniversary of serving the community, we want to share some of the history of the agency. It began as the Columbiana County Area Council on Alcoholism and received notice of incorporation on May 4, 1973. The first office was above the J.C. Penney store on State Street in Salem. It was funded through the Bureau of Alcohol Services within the Ohio Department of Health.
Family Recovery Center has professional staff who are ready to listen when you have no one else to talk to. The goal is for the health and well-being of all.
For information about the agency's treatment and education programs, contact FRC at 1010 N. Sixth St., Steubenville; by phone (740) 283-4946; by e-mail at info@familyrecovery.org; or by visiting the website at familyrecovery.org. FRC is funded in part by the Jefferson County Prevention and Recovery Board.
(Brownfield is a publicist with the Family Recovery Center.)