(The Center Square) – As overdose deaths from synthetic opioids in Pennsylvania climb, officials want to keep up with shifting manufacturing and usage patterns.
Fentanyl has replaced heroin as the dominant opioid in the state, and counterfeit prescription pills laced with it play a large role in the number of overdoses. The latest trend of adding xylazine as a cutting agent is making these drugs even more deadly, officials say.
On Tuesday, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced his administration will add xylazine to the state’s list of controlled substances as a schedule III drug. This will place restrictions on its purchase and delivery, and allow authorities to charge and prosecute those who violate the rules.
Xylazine, also known as tranq, is a non-opiate sedative, analgesic, and muscle relaxant authorized for veterinarian use. It’s cheap and readily available, making it attractive to drug traffickers.
Users may develop a physical dependence to xylazine, with some reporting withdrawal symptoms equal to – or more severe than– heroin, such as chest pains and seizures. They often develop skin ulcers and soft tissue injuries that can lead to infections, resulting in amputations at rates higher than that of other drugs.
The Center Square previously reported that more than 5,300 residents died from an overdose in 2021 – one of the highest rates nationally. In an effort to get more people into recovery, the governor recently announced $4 million in grant funding to establish regional recovery hubs across the state.
According to Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health, overdoses are spiking. In 2021, officials reported the highest number of unintentional overdose deaths on record – 1,276 – a 5% increase from 2020. Additionally, 82% involved opioids, and of those, fentanyl was detected in 94%. Xylazine was detected in 34% of all overdose deaths in 2021 – a 39% increase from 2020.
The first of two Narcan towers to be installed in the city was recently launched in West Philadelphia.
Mayor Jim Kenney said they have lost too many Philadelphians to the overdose crisis, which is why they are trying “new and novel ideas to help save lives.” He said the Naloxone Near Me Towers are “exactly the bold response they need … to ensure lifesaving naloxone is available 24 hours a day in areas that need it.”
The locker-type towers are part of the local health department’s harm reduction and overdose response program, and contain 22 overdose prevention kits that can be accessed by tapping a touch screen on the front of the device. In the case of an emergency, the kiosk can connect directly to 911.
Xylazine is not an opioid, so Narcan will not reverse its effects. However, because it is almost always found in combination with opioids, the use of Narcan is recommended whenever an opioid-involved overdose is suspected.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration warns that xylazine is making fentanyl, “the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced,” even deadlier.
Of the fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills analyzed by them in 2022, six of 10 contained lethal doses of the drug compared to four out of 10 found in 2021.
In 2022, the agency seized more than 57.9 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and more than 13,400 pounds of fentanyl powder – equivalent to more than 400 million lethal doses of fentanyl. To put that in perspective, 2 mg of fentanyl – an amount that would fit on the tip of a pencil – is a potentially deadly dose.
This article First appeared in the center square