Evidence is mounting that the powerful veterinary tranquilizer xylazine is circulating in the San Francisco Bay Area's street drug supply.
warning that xylazine is making fentanyl even deadlier and has been linked to an increasing number of overdose death. The agency has seized mixtures of the two drugs in 48 out of 50 states.
The Santa Clara County Medical Examiner said that fentanyl was also detected during the postmortem toxicology exam of the man who died. “This tragic event is an important alert to the community that xylazine is now present in drugs in Santa Clara County,” said Santa Clara County Chief Medical Examiner-Coroner Dr. Michelle Jorden. “The last thing I want is to see more deaths due to xylazine here, but sadly, the experience of the rest of the country indicates there may be more to come.”
Xylazine was developed as a veterinary sedative and is not approved for human use by the Food and Drug Administration.