Homemade synthetic opioids like fentanyl and animal tranquilisers are fuelling a deadly new wave of drug deaths in the US, with stimulant users unknowingly consuming lethal opioid cocktails.
01Summary
- 01Fentanyl is 50 to 100 times more potent than heroin and is often mixed with synthetic tranquilisers such as xylazine and medetomidine.
- 02US overdose deaths fell from 110,000 in 2022 to around 70,000 last year, but the crisis has shifted to stimulant users.
- 03In Franklin County, Ohio, 78% of fatal overdoses in the last 12 months involved stimulants, often laced with fentanyl.
- 04Naloxone (Narcan) reverses opioid overdoses but is ineffective against synthetic tranquilisers like xylazine and medetomidine.
- 05Overdose deaths among black men in Ohio are increasing, according to recovery worker Scott Sanders.
02Why it matters
This story matters because the evolving synthetic drug market means even casual or stimulant users face a high risk of fatal overdose, and standard antidotes may not work.
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