Yes.
There have been at least four deaths tied to the drug xylazine in Colorado since early 2022.
Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer used on horses that produces some of the same sedative effects as opioids. It is not approved for human use.
It gained popularity as an illegal drug in the early 2000s in Puerto Rico. In the United States, it is most heavily used illegally in the Northeast.
State health officials said some fentanyl users use the drug to help extend the effects of fentanyl and stave off withdrawal. The drug affects the central nervous system, causing drowsiness, amnesia and low blood pressure. Because it acts like a sedative, xylazine makes it hard to distinguish whether someone has overdosed on opioids. There is no known antidote.
Fentanyl overdoses killed at least 920 people in Colorado in 2022 and 1,087 in 2023.
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