WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Two drugs have been named the “twin threats” to Jefferson County residents: fentanyl and xylazine.
Fentanyl has been a known threat for years, but officials are beginning to notice a disturbing trend with xylazine, a sedative for large animals known by its street name “tranq.”
“There’s an elevated amount of cases nationwide. We’re starting to see it in cases here,” said Jefferson County Deputy Public Health Director Stephen Jennings.
This year, Jefferson County has seen one overdose linked to xylazine. But its presence has been felt over the past two years with a total of 9 overdoses linked to xylazine between 2021 and 2022 – sometimes with lethal consequences.
“We’ve had two cases. One in 2021 and one in 2022 where the individual actually died of a lethal dose of xylazine,” said Jennings.
At the Alliance for Better Communities in Watertown, people like Caitlin Lawler are working to combat the tranquilizer’s rising threat, especially since it’s often cut with already dangerous narcotics like fentanyl.
“It’s a scary thing and that’s why we want people to have the resources such as Narcan and the test strips,” she said.
The Alliance for Better Communities is offering xylazine test strips. They work in the same manner as fentanyl test strips with instructions on the back and both can be picked up at the Marcy Building in Watertown.
“It’s not us enabling people to be using drugs, but we want these out in the community so if people are going to use they will have that option to test and know what they are taking,” said Lawler.
The overdose reversal drug Narcan is ineffective against xylazine since it’s not an opioid, but Lawler says you should still use it since it will work against the drugs xylazine is usually paired with like heroin and fentanyl.
“The best thing we can do is just get medical services, call 911, get them there and whatever they can do to save a life,” she said.
Narcan, along with test strips for fentanyl and xylazine are available for free at the Marcy Building in Watertown.
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