Public Health Alert – Xylazine

Published on 25 April 202325 April 2023

Situation

There is an increased risk of overdose due to Xylazine and benzodiazepines being added to the unregulated drug supply.
Data from the Office of the Chief Coroner of Ontario show that in opioid toxicity deaths:
- Xylazine was detected in 2 – 4% of deaths between 2021 Q4 and 2022 Q3
- Benzodiazepines were detected in 63% of deaths in 2021 and 41% of deaths in 2022
Xylazine is:
Not approved for human use
Typically used by veterinarians for pain relief, sedation, and muscle relaxation of large animals (referred to as horse tranquilizer)
Benzodiazepines have been seen in the drug supply for some time in our area, however, NWHU has not received confirmatory reports of Xylazine in the NWHU catchment area.

Both Xylazine and benzodiazepine use can lead to symptoms similar to an opioid overdose, and they DO NOT respond to naloxone administration.
Risk of acute toxicity increases with the concurrent use of other depressants such as alcohol and/or opioids.

Messaging for patients:

Don’t use alone. Have someone with you, on the phone, or download and use the Lifeguard app.
If using with a friend, do not use at the same time. Make sure the other person is OK before you use.
Carry naloxone and know how to use it – although not effective on xylazine or benzodiazepines, it is effective on opioids.
Call 911 with a suspected overdose. The Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act provides some legal protection to the person calling.
Counsel on the range of treatment options for opioid use disorder including opioid agonist treatments.

Contact:
Dr Kit Young Hoon
Medical Officer of Health
Northwestern Health Unit