Xylazine Warning for Vermont’s Veterinarians From VT Dept. of Health

The Health Department recently published a data brief on the emerging trend of xylazine contributing to fatal opioid overdoses based on a CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. Vermont’s data brief can be found here: https://www.healthvermont.gov/sites/default/files/documents/pdf/ADAP - XylazineBrief.pdf

• Law enforcement believes that xylazine may be added as a toxic adulterant in illicit opioids in the US, and it is being added before those opioids arrive in Vermont.

• In the past, trends like this originate in larger urban centers in the Northeast and Mid- Atlantic before they are detected in Vermont; this trend is currently being seen in these urban areas.

• We request that Vermont’s veterinarians closely monitor their supplies of xylazine for potential diversion, including taking care to not dispense single doses of xylazine for subsequent and unsupervised use.

• If you suspect drug diversion, please follow your usual notification pathway, which may include law enforcement or the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation.

  Please direct any questions about the data brief to the Health Department’s Substance Misuse Prevention Manager, Nicole Rau.