BERRIEN COUNTY, Mich. — Berrien County Health Officer Guy Miller explains their southwestern county is now being impacted by the drug called Xylazine.
"In 2022, we've seen eight deaths related to it. That rate increase going from one to eight with our population and Berrien County, Michigan, we have seen the highest rate increase in the state," said Miller.
The drug was designed to be an animal tranquilizer. Now, it's being laced in illicit drugs like opioids to prolong the feeling of being high.
"It was originally created by the medical community to sedate an animal so [they] could perform some sort of surgery on it," said Miller. "We're finding that in some illicit drug use now, and people with substance use disorders, we're finding it's been laced in some of their product, and it is been linked to a lot of deaths."
Although Berrien County is seeing an increase in overdoses involving Xylazine, they're not the only ones.
"Xylazine is something that's been in the opioid drug supply on the east coast in the continental United States for the last about three to four years," said Dr. Colleen Lane, Medical Director of addiction medicine at Corewell Health West. "We're more recently starting to see it come into the Midwest."
Dr. Lane explains the sedative is mostly contaminating drugs on the east coast, like Pennsylvania and Baltimore, meaning it's found in the majority of the opioid or illicit opioid drug supply. America itself is one of the most hard-hit locations for Xylazine.
She also says the drug is also starting to show up in Kent County.
"In Kent County, we've seen folks present in our addiction medicine specialty clinic with wounds that are typical for xylazine. So, we are starting to advise people to be aware that this risk factor is is present in our community."
Dr. Lane says people who overdose with fentanyl and xylazine are Narcan-resistant, meaning the medicine won't be enough to save their life.
"They will oftentimes need things like a ventilator to get into the emergency department early and having respiratory support," she said.
►Make it easy to keep up to date with more stories like this. Download the 13 ON YOUR SIDE app now.
Have a news tip? Email news@13onyourside.com, visit our Facebook page or Twitter. Subscribe to our YouTube channel.