SAMHSA is alerting providers and grantees to the risks associated with xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use. Xylazine is increasingly found in combination with opioids such as fentanyl. This alert by Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, Dr. Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, warns that
"As xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone does not reverse the effects of xylazine. Severe withdrawal symptoms may develop from xylazine, which are, by themselves, unlikely to be managed by medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) (i.e., methadone, buprenorphine, or naltrexone). Therefore, xylazine presents new potential public health challenges associated with possible withdrawal signs and symptoms."
Read Dr. Delphin-Rittmon's letter
|
|
DEA Report: The Growing Threat of Xylazine and its Mixture with Illicit Drugs
|
This report by the US Department of Justice and the Drug Enforcement Administration includes an executive summary of Xylazine combined with illicit drugs, a review of the regional impact of this growing threat, adverse effects and overdoses, and outlook. Read the full report. |
|
|
