The Alarming Spread of Xylazine-laced Fentanyl in Alaska and California

Test strips used to detect the presence of xylazine, a powerful additive known as the "zombie drug," are in high demand at addiction intervention programs in Alaska, indicating its growing presence in the state. Xylazine, when mixed with fentanyl or heroin, can be fatal and does not respond to the overdose-reversing drug naloxone. It is used by traffickers to stretch supplies of heroin and fentanyl while making the drugs more addicting. Although no deaths from xylazine overdose have been documented in Alaska, the drug has been found in seized fentanyl powder and pills nationwide. Advocates are providing information on the dangers of xylazine to drug users and distributing test strips to detect its presence.