"A new drug is spreading rapidly in popularity across many U.S. states and is causing skin-rotting symptoms in its wake. Xylazine, also known as "tranq" "tranq dope" or "zombie drug" has seen increasing usage across major U.S. cities. According to one study, published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology in June 2022, xylazine has been detected in drug supply across 36 states and the District of Columbia.

In the months since it may have spread even further. Overuse of the drug can lead to rotting skin ulcerations and ultimately limb amputations if untreated, hence its horrifying nickname "zombie drug". The drug has also been detected in a growing number of overdose deaths

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, xylazine is a non-opioid tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine that is not approved for human use. However, it has increasingly been used illicitly as an adulterant in combination with other drugs, mostly fentanyl, but also with cocaine, heroin, and other drugs, in the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) states in a fact sheet.

Xyalzine itself is a central nervous system sedative that causes drowsiness, amnesia, slow breathing, decreased heart rate, and decreased blood pressure. It is thought that when used in combination with opioids like fentanyl, it can elongate the effects of the high.

Xylazine can be snorted, injected, or smoked. If injected, the so-called zombie drug can also cause crusty skin ulcerations near the injection site, which may eventually become dead skin called eschar and become necrotic, resulting in the need for amputation.

When combined with opioids, which are also nervous system depressants, the risk of deadly overdose is increased. An additional issue is that people who are overdosing on xylazine do not respond to Narcan, also known as naloxone, which can usually be used to revive a user from an overdose of opioids. "

Continue Reading Here 

How to administer Narcan and check for the signs of an overdose

Students at Washington Elementary School in Fremont, NE created some Valentine's Day cards for the residents of Shiloh Place's Assisted Living, for our lesson on friendship and showing our appreciation for others!

Pinky the Elephant from the Nebraska Regional Poison Center stopped by to visit our friends at Washington Elementary!

Our students learned the importance of being safe around harmful substances, and how to make good decisions on what things people should and should not consume.

Thank you to the Omaha Drug Enforcement Administration for coming to speak to the 5th and 6th graders at Johnson Crossing Middle School in Fremont!

Ready, set, goal! Our friends at Linden Elementary in Fremont learned how to set a goal and what steps they need to take, to reach their personal goals.

Children who can and do set reachable goals have a stronger sense of self and make overall better decisions.

Our 3rd-grade friends at Offutt Youth Programs learned the importance of having healthy friendships, and how to choose our friends wisely. We also did some bonding activities, to get to know each other more!

Community Lunch and Learn: Fentanyl Awareness

We are less than 2 weeks away from the Community Lunch and Learn on Monday, March 13th from 12-1:30pm! This event is free to the public and all are welcome to come and learn more about Fentanyl and how it has impacted our community. Please use the link below to register for your spot.

---> Registration Link <---

The Dual Diagnosis of Substance Use and Behavioral Health Conditions

"This turns out to be one of the most complex, difficult situations that we face in the mental health or substance use world, and in fact, really in medicine altogether. The interaction between mental health disorders and substance use disorders, when interacting, makes the two disorders more difficult to manage."