SANTA CRUZ — An animal tranquilizer increasingly used to boost the effects of illegal opioid drug use is behind the recent death of a Santa Cruz County woman.
The 35-year-old woman’s death, recorded in early June, has since been determined to be the county’s first known fatal xylazine poisoning case, according to the Santa Cruz County Health Services Agency. The woman, found unresponsive, tested positive for drugs including xylazine and fentanyl in postmortem toxicology testing, the agency said in a release Wednesday.
“This tragic event is an important alert to the community that xylazine is confirmed to be present in drugs in Santa Cruz County,” Dr. David Ghilarducci, Santa Cruz County EMS medical director, is quoted in an agency media release. “Fentanyl, alone, is extraordinarily dangerous and is devastating communities across the country. The addition (of) xylazine compounds the risk of street drugs.”
The Public Health Department is alerting local doctors to the increasing prevalence of xylazine in the drug supply.
Xylazine is added to fentanyl to extend the opioid’s euphoric effects, often without users’ knowledge, according to Health Services. The drug, also known as tranq, is a veterinary tranquilizer with no approved use in humans, according to the health agency. Xylazine can slow down the nervous system and make breathing and heart rates slower. It also can cause serious wounds.
The opioid overdose remedy naloxone, also known by its brand name, Narcan, does not reverse the effects of xylazine poisoning. However, the Health Services Agency urges bystanders to call 911, administer naloxone and perform rescue breathing if someone is unresponsive. If xylazine is present, the patient may still be very drowsy even after receiving naloxone, the agency said.
A resource for naloxone distribution sites is available online at hipscc.org/naloxone. Information on treatment for substance use is available through primary care doctors or by calling Santa Cruz County Behavioral Health Division at 800-953-2335.
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