STUART, Florida — According to the state medical examiner’s office, there has been a little decline in fentanyl-related overdose deaths for the first time in over ten years. However, the research contains other trends as well.
There’s a new lethal narcotic on the streets. Though fentanyl-laced phoney prescription tablets have been known to be purchased, the situation with xylazine is very different. People wanting to acquire fentanyl are discovering, according to deputies speaking with CBS12 News, that it is tainted with this substance instead.
For the first time, Florida mandated in 2022 that all medical examiners document any instances in which xylazine was found during an autopsy. The drug was linked to 471 overdose deaths in the final report, which was made public earlier this month.
With 44 xylazine-related deaths in the county, Palm Beach County had the third-highest number of xylazine-related deaths in the state, despite the fact that just two were reported near the Treasure Coast.
Large animals can be sedated with xylazine, sometimes known as “Tranq,” but deputies said drug smugglers use it as an inexpensive addition to other addictive substances.
The overdoses caused by heroin or fentanyl are most similar to xylazine. Therefore, in an attempt to increase their earnings, these drug dealers have combined xylazine, a white, powdery chemical, with fentanyl, which is being peddled on our streets, according to Deputy Chief Jon Budensiek of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office.
Narcan is ineffective for overdoses of xylazine, in contrast to fentanyl.
“We start giving Narcan because we believe we are responding to a fentanyl or heroin overdose, but we are unable to reverse these overdoses, so there is nothing that we can do,” stated Budensiek. “Until they overdose and are unable to receive resuscitation, they won’t realise that something is wrong, and their friends will notice that.”
However, deputies say that in certain situations, you can tell if someone is on xylazine because of the way it affects their skin.
The actual skin cells and meat beneath the skin are killed by the injections these users are giving themselves, causing their bodies to literally begin to rot away in front of your eyes. And they are aware that something is wrong, but regrettably, their addiction prevents them from quitting the narcotics, according to Budensiek.
Three xylazine and fentanyl overdose deaths were reported by Martin County Sheriff’s officers last year.
The police advise using Narcan even though it wouldn’t be effective for someone overdose on xylazine. It’s always possible that someone is overdosing on another narcotic, such as fentanyl, and treating them for that could save their life.