Health officials are issuing another warning after a tranquilizer used for large animals has been found in street drugs circulating in the Peterborough area.
On Monday, Peterborough Public Health stated xylazine (pronounced zy-la-zine) has already been found in drugs across Canada since 2012 and there have been “significant” increases in drug supplies across Ontario since 2022.
The health unit says the drug was found in several drug samples tested at the Peterborough Consumption and Treatment Services (CTS) site on Simcoe Street between April 29 and April 30. The health unit’s juridisiction includes Peterborough city and county, Hiawatha First Nation and Curve Lake First Nation.
“Using newly available testing strips, xylazine has been detected in local supplies of cocaine, opioid products, and crystal meth,” said medical officer of health, Dr. Thomas Piggott.
In July 2022, the health unit also issued a warning about the sedative.
The drug, also known as ‘tranq’, is a veterinary medicine that is not approved for human use. The health unit says the substance is often mixed with other drugs, thereby greatly increasing the risk of drug poisonings.
The health unit warns when xylazine is injected, complex wounds may appear anywhere on the body. Wounds are impacted by vasoconstriction, or narrowing of blood vessels, which can often lead to hospitalization, tissue death, or amputation.
“Peterborough Public Health is now issuing a public alert to ensure that people who use drugs in our community are able to make informed decisions about their use in order to reduce harms and save lives,” said Piggott.
Signs of xylazine poisoning include drowsiness, slow breathing, slow heart rate and low blood-pressure. When mixed with opioids, sedative effects can be more severe.
“Xylazine doe not respond to naloxone, but giving naloxone is important and will temporarily reverse the effects of any opioid that may be present,” said Piggott. “Therefore, we still recommend naloxone use if someone is presenting with overdose symptoms.”
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