Of more concern on the Island is the presence in opioid samples of benzodiazepines, which, like xylazine, do not respond to naloxone.
An animal tranquilizer identified in the supply of street drugs in parts of the United States, and more recently showing up in Canada, is not being reported in significant numbers in the unregulated drug supply on Vancouver Island.
The project first detected the drug in street samples on the Island in October 2021, and continues to monitor for it, along with many other substances, in case of an increase in prevalence, Wallace said. It’s believed xylazine is added to opioids to increase the length of time a high lasts. As a sedative, xylazine suppresses the central nervous system, causing low blood pressure, a slowed heart rate and a lower breathing rate. There have been reports of skin ulcers, abscesses and lesions associated with the substance.
The substance was identified by the service in just five samples in 2018 but the number jumped to 1,350 last year, with just over 20 per cent of those samples coming from B.C.
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