The drug, dubbed as "zombie drug," exacerbates the opioid crisis.
In cities across the United States and Britain, the animal tranquillizer Xylazine has already been identified as a concerning threat. Now, Mexican public health officials are raising concerns after a study found xylazine present in opioids in cities along the country's northwest border with the United States.
Nicknamed "tranq dope" and "zombie drug," Xylazine has worsened the opioid crisis in US cities like Philadelphia. It can make overdoses harder to treat and increase the risk of death.
Mexico's health ministry issued an alert for medical personnel and first responders in border cities. Xylazine is not approved for human use in either Mexico or the United States.
According to an alert issued by Mexico's health ministry in conjunction with the mental health and addiction commission on April 8, "for health personnel and first responders in Mexican border cities for possible adulteration of heroin and fentanyl with Xylazine."
According to news agency Reuters, a study by Mexico's National Institute of Psychiatry found xylazine in 35% of heroin samples and 26% of fentanyl samples tested in Tijuana and Mexico. The ongoing study was not specifically looking for xylazine, highlighting its surprising prevalence.
The findings come amid concerns about fentanyl use rising within Mexico. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid responsible for tens of thousands of overdose deaths in the US each year.
The study was seeking to identify adulterants in drugs and was not specifically looking for xylazine.
"We were surprised to find Xylazine," said Clara Fleiz, an investigator at Mexico's National Institute of Psychiatry and the study's lead author.