New deadly drug combo in the streets of Savannah
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — 'They're mixing this xylazine with fentanyl and basically that's causing an even more euphoric high,' is how a Counter Narcotics Director described the deadly drug combo of Xylazine and Fentanyl.
The effects of the drug are similar to fentanyl by causing your respiratory system to slow down but battling an overdose is much different.
Xylazine, also known as tranq and zombie, is not able to be combatted by Narcan.
'What's really scary about this is that the Narcan, because xylazine is not an opioid,' Counter Narcotics Director Michael Sarhatt said. 'When you administer the Narcan, it does not flush the xylazine from the receptors. It'll flush an opioid from your body's receptors, but it will not flush the xylazine.'
Sarhatt said there are many ways to ingest the drug, but only one way to tell if the fentanyl has been laced with the potent tranquilizer.
'So basically when somebody is injecting and using that, as I was saying, it will, it will open more wounds and they're huge,' he said. 'That's called like crocodile or crocodilla. Okay. So, it's very easy for us to go, boom, xylazine. We know that's what's going on there. But if they're if they're using it in powder or pill form, we don't you know, you have no idea. We don't see any of those signs.'
Director Sarhatt said that, so far, no arrests have been made for the distribution of the specific drug xylazine, but they are seeing it mixed with fentanyl and other opioids. They said they are working to get those dealers off the streets.
His best advice to anyone: don't take any pills that you don't get directly from the pharmacy.
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