A recent study reveals that medetomidine is over 100 times more potent than xylazine, raising concerns about its increasing presence in the illicit drug market. Due to their veterinary use, both drugs are less regulated, which might contribute to their popularity among recreational users. Notably, naloxone, often used to reverse opioid overdoses, cannot address medetomidine overdoses. San Francisco is witnessing a rise in drug overdose deaths, prompting officials to escalate their responses, including a 'Fentanyl State of Emergency' ordinance to combat the growing crisis without standard approval processes.
"Both medetomidine and xylazine are earmarked for veterinary use and therefore face less rigorous regulation processes than substances made for humans, which could explain why they're becoming more common in the recreational drug supply."
"Naloxone cannot be used to treat overdoses involving medetomidine. While there are reversal agents that can be used to reverse the drug's sedative effects, they are not as common because they're marketed for animals."
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