Berkeley Co. Sheriff warns of new drug threat

Drug traffickers have found another way to lace fentanyl and Berkeley County law enforcement is sounding the warning.

Berkeley County Sheriff Duane Lewis, along with officials across the country, are alerting the public to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) latest safety warning regarding the drug’s latest iteration – fentanyl mixed with xylazine.

Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a powerful sedative that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved for veterinary use, states the sheriff department release.

“Xylazine is making the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, fentanyl, even deadlier,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “DEA has seized xylazine and fentanyl mixtures in 48 of 50 States. The DEA Laboratory System is reporting that in 2022 approximately 23% of fentanyl powder and 7% of fentanyl pills seized by the DEA contained xylazine.”

“We have not seen any cases of overdoses involving xylazine-laced fentanyl in our area at this time,” Lewis stated in the release. “This alert is to educate our community on this new deadly drug.”

The National Drug Enforcement Administration is calling xylazine the deadliest drug threat America has ever faced. Because xylazine is not an opioid, Narcan does not reverse its effects. Drug injections containing xylazine can also develop severe wounds, including necrosis, that lead to amputation. Xylazine is not intended for consumption by humans and is a sedative that is commonly used on large animals like horses. Xylazine and fentanyl together in combination can cause respiratory depression, seizures, and even death.

More information about the DEA public safety alert on xylazine can be found online.