While the opioid epidemic has ravaged communities across the United States, a devastating new threat has appeared in Santa Cruz County, claiming its first victim. The illicit 'tranq', a dangerous concoction of the veterinary tranquilizer xylazine and opioid fentanyl, continues to raise alarm, according to a Mercury News article.
In early June, a 35-year-old woman's death became the first known fatal xylazine poisoning case in Santa Cruz County, shining a spotlight on the growing threat of this potent mixture. Besides xylazine and fentanyl, other drugs were also found in the woman's system during postmortem toxicology testing, as reported by KRON4.
The all-consuming conflict against fentanyl alone is already terrifying enough, and as Dr. David Ghilarducci, Santa Cruz County EMS medical director, stated, "The addition (of) xylazine compounds the risk of street drugs." Health officials are now tasked with the pressing burden of alerting local doctors to the increasing prevalence of xylazine in the drug supply, says the CBS News San Francisco article.
Hitherto a veterinary tranquilizer without any approved use in humans, xylazine has found its way into the illicit drug market. When mixed with opioids like heroin and fentanyl, it extends the euphoric effects of these drugs, unbeknownst to the users. As it gains notoriety for causing serious wounds and infections leading to amputations, its nickname 'zombie drug' becomes all too fitting.
Santa Cruz is by no means the first county to grapple with this deadly menace. Xylazine was identified in the bloodstreams of four fatal fentanyl overdose victims earlier this year through San Francisco. Since then, both Sonoma County and Santa Clara County have reported similar cases.
Although the opioid-overdose solution Narcan, also known as naloxone, doesn't counteract the effects of xylazine poisoning, health services still urge bystanders to call 911, administer naloxone, and perform rescue breathing if someone is unresponsive. Information on treatment for substance use is also available through primary care doctors or by calling Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health Division at 800-953-2335. For those seeking naloxone distribution sites, they can visit hipscc.org/naloxone for more information.
As xylazine-incidents continue to crop up across the San Francisco Bay Area, causing deadly overdoses and grievous wounds, DEA Intelligence Analyst Maura Gaffney warns the public "with all the synthetic drugs out there, and the way they're being mixed together, you never know what you're actually buying," according to KRON4. The rise of 'tranq' threatens not only Santa Cruz County but also our nation, which is already besieged by the opioid epidemic. As the battle against these treacherous substances wages on, communities must remain vigilant and support those affected by drug addiction.
