Perspectives of people in Philadelphia who use fentanyl/heroin adulterated with the animal tranquilizer xylazine; Making a case for xylazine test strips.
Publication/Presentation Date
9-1-2022
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer increasingly detected in those who have died of an opioid overdose in Philadelphia, PA and elsewhere. Despite an increasing presence of xylazine in the local fentanyl/heroin drug market and its association with ulcers, there are few perspectives about xylazine from people who use drugs and no data about the utility of a hypothetical xylazine test strip.
METHODS: Between January to May 2021 in Philadelphia, PA, people who used fentanyl/heroin and had previously used fentanyl test strips were queried about xylazine and hypothetical xylazine test strips. Interviews were transcribed and analysis was conducted via conventional content analysis.
RESULTS: Participants (7 spontaneously, 6 after probing,
CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, people who use fentanyl/heroin indicated an interest to test their drug for the presence of xylazine prior to use.
Volume
4
First Page
100074
Last Page
100074
ISSN
2772-7246
Published In/Presented At
Reed, M. K., Imperato, N. S., Bowles, J. M., Salcedo, V. J., Guth, A., & Rising, K. L. (2022). Perspectives of people in Philadelphia who use fentanyl/heroin adulterated with the animal tranquilizer xylazine; Making a case for xylazine test strips. Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 4, 100074. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100074
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
36846574
Department(s)
Department of Emergency Medicine
Document Type
Article