Why Illicit Xylazine is a Threat To Your Community

What is Xylazine?

Xylazine is a potent sedative and muscle relaxant that is used in veterinary medicine to sedate and immobilize animals for medical procedures.

In animals, xylazine is primarily used to sedate and immobilize them for medical procedures such as surgery, dental work, or diagnostic tests. Its effects on animals may include:

• Sedation and relaxation

• Reduced heart rate and blood pressure

• Muscle relaxation and loss of coordination

• Reduced respiratory rate

When used in humans, xylazine can produce a range of physical effects, including:

• Coma

• Seizures

• Cardiac arrest

Is Xylazine dangerous for human use and can it be reversed?

Xylazine is approved for animal use, but is not approved for human use, and has been linked to an increasing number of overdose deaths nationwide in the evolving drug addiction and overdose crisis. 

Because xylazine is a sedative and not an opioid, it resists standard opioid overdose reversal treatments, such as Narcan. Illicit use of xylazine in humans can cause respiratory depression, seizures, and even death.

There have been reports of xylazine causing tissue damage and affected tissue is appearing black, this is thought to be related to its vasoconstrictive effects, which reduces blood flow to the affected area. The tissue damage may be severe enough to require amputation. Read more >