CLARK COUNTY, Ind. — Health officials in Southern Indiana are warning the public about a deadly drug that's claiming lives.
"It's called Xylazine, and it's actually a veterinarian medicine," Clark County Health Officer Eric Yazel said.
Just in Clark County, Yazel says the animal tranquilizer has killed five people so far. He says over the past five months, drug suppliers have been adding it to opioids.
"To extend it out and make it go further," he said, adding Clark County isn't testing for Xylazine until after someone dies.
He said it usually doesn't show up in routine drug screenings, but from what he's seen, the effects are gruesome.
"You'll see large skin wounds. Really gory-looking stuff," Yazel said.
Over in Floyd County, health officials said Xylazine has been detected over the past year. Recently, the health department took to Facebook to warn residents of its dangers.
Tracy Skaggs is the founder of the harm reduction organization Project Recovery. She said, unlike fentanyl, Narcan doesn't work on the tranquilizer.
Skaggs is urging people to call 911 if they're overdosing, but before it reaches that point, she says she will soon have Xylazine testing strips spread across the region.
"We want to make sure that, that is available," Skaggs says. "This is someone's child. This is someone's mother, a father, a brother, and a sister."
Project Recovery plans to have Xylazine test strips available at seven locations in southern Indiana. Click here to find the nearest location.
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