WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — Officials with the Whatcom County Health Department announced yesterday, Friday, April 5th, that an adult who died from a suspected drug overdose tested positive for multiple drugs including xylazine, also known as “tranq,” an animal tranquilizer. This is reported to be the first tranq-related death in Whatcom County.
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in a June 2023 bulletin, “Xylazine, a nonopioid sedative, has been increasingly detected in illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) drug products and overdose deaths.”
Since Xylazine is not an opioid, opioid overdose counteragents such as Narcan (naloxone) are not effective in reversing its effects.
We are deeply saddened by the first known Xylazine-related overdose death of a Whatcom County resident, a local adult. Toxicology results showed multiple drugs were present, including fentanyl and methamphetamines, in addition to Xylazine. No one should die of an overdose and our hearts go out to the family and friends of this person.
What to know about Xylazine:
- Xylazine, also called tranq, is a powerful animal tranquilizer and is never safe for people.
- It is often mixed with fentanyl.
- It reduces brain activity and dangerously reduces a person’s breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure.
- It can cause severe skin wounds that are difficult to heal. These wounds can occur anywhere on the body, not just at injection sites.
- Xylazine is not an opioid, so naloxone spray (brand names are Kloxxado or Narcan) will not work to reverse it. Naloxone should still be given if an overdose is suspected because naloxone will reverse fentanyl’s effects.
If you think someone is having an overdose:
- Give naloxone if you have it.
- If the person is not breathing or is taking irregular breaths, provide rescue breaths if you can do so safely.
- Always call 911 if you suspect an overdose, especially since naloxone will not reverse the effects of Xylazine.
For over a year we have suspected that Xylazine may be circulating in our community, and we first issued a warning about this drug in March 2023. The Medical Examiner’s Office has been testing all suspected overdose deaths for Xylazine since the summer of 2022. This is the first time that it has been detected in an overdose death in Whatcom County. Whatcom County Health Department (April 5, 2024)