According to state data, xylazine contributed to 90 overdose deaths in 2017. By 2021, the drug contributed to 575 overdose deaths across 30 counties.
In Philadelphia, epidemiologists believe xylazine was initially added to fentanyl to give the opioid a longer-lasting high, similar to that of heroin. Except xylazine is not an opioid and its effects are more aggressive. Users report blacking out, forgetting things and developing wounds in places throughout the body they never injected.Overdoses where xylazine is present are harder to reverse because the drug won’t respond to naloxone.
In late February, the Food and Drug Administration announced restrictions on the import of the drug, making shipments of xylazine and products that contain it subject to “heightened FDA scrutiny.” Cheryl Bettigole, Philadelphia’s health commissioner, has spoken out in support of the restrictions and along with Mayor Jim Kenney has called for the drug to be classified as a controlled substance at the federal level.
Still, some people working in harm reduction have raised concerns about what restrictions on xylazine could mean for people who are already dependent on the drug and whether a crackdown could give rise to newer, even more dangerous drugs. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
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