SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – San Francisco officials are aware of a new narcotic being found in the city's street drug supply.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
Xylazine is a sedative used in veterinary medicine, but it can have deadly results and is often cut with other deadly drugs like fentanyl and heroin.
Now, the San Francisco medical examiner is looking to review all overdose cases from last year and test for "tranq" moving forward.
The drug has been found in at least four overdose cases so far that were originally thought to be fentanyl-related.
Since xylazine is a sedative and not an opioid, it’s resistant to Naloxone, also known as Narcan.
This new drug, dubbed "tranq" is now being found on the street in San Francisco, but it’s been circulating around other areas for a while now.
"Puerto Rico, and then in Philadelphia, and then has spread around the East Coast and other parts of the country," said UCLA epidemiologist Dr. Chelsea Shover.
This drug is commonly used to cut other drugs like fentanyl and heroin, but users might not realize how vulnerable it can make them, and the side effects they might suffer if they survive.
"Really powerful sedative – it can cause really bad wounds – tough to heal," said Shover. "Because it’s a sedative basically it knocks you out for a long time."
"So if people use it, especially if they don't know, they can be passed out for up to 12 hours," she said.
The medical examiner is not only going to retest overdose cases from the last year, but they’re also going to test for it from now on.
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
