Dangerous drug mix circulating in Waterloo Region

A community alert has been issued in Waterloo Region in response to an increase in suspected drug deaths.

According to the Waterloo Region Integrated Drug Strategy (WRIDS), six fatal overdoses were reported between Jan. 10 and Jan. 22 – four of them in just the last week.

Recent testing of samples, through the Drug Checking Program at Kitchener’s consumption and treatment services (CTS) site, detected fentanyl in combination with other drugs, specifically para-fluorofentanyl, bromazolam and xylazine, WRIDS said.

Unlike highly-potent opioids like fentanyl, naloxone isn’t effective in reversing the effects of an overdose from xylazine and benzodiazepines.

What is xylazine?

Xylazine is a powerful animal tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine and is not approved for human use in Canada.

The drug can cause shallow or slow breathing, low blood pressure, decreased heart rate, blurred vision, disorientation or dizziness, slurred speech and fatigue. Another side effect is skin ulcers or wounds, which can take months or years to heal.

According to Health Canada, xylazine is often combined with fentanyl, caffeine and flualprazolam (a benzodiazepine-related drug). When added to an opioid, xylazine could increase the risk of overdose death.

Statistics from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, released in June, show about 11 per cent of drug toxicity deaths involved xylazine.

The drug-testing device has been available at the Kitchener CTS since last August. It looks at the composition of street drugs to determine if there are any dangerous fillers or other drugs in the sample.

“We found some pretty toxic stuff in the dope, especially with xylazine being out there now,” peer support worker Ralph Schmidt told CTV News on Jan. 15. “We had one test where it was 100 per cent xylazine. There is no Narcan for it, so it’s a scary thing.”

What is bromazolam?

Bromazolam is a benzodiazepine-related drug that may cause the user to not wake up for an extended length of time.

Side effects include blackouts, memory loss, drowsiness, slurred speech and slowed breathing.

Like xylazine, naloxone cannot reverse the effects of bromazolam.

WRIDS recommendations

WRIDS still recommends the use of naloxone in the event of an overdose, adding that multiple doses maybe required to reverse the effects of the drugs.

Users are urged to visit the Drug Checking Program at 150 Duke St. W., never use alone, carry naloxone and call for help if drug poisoning is suspected.