Public health is calling on Montreal health care workers to be vigilant. The presence of a powerful animal sedative in illicit drugs are in increased circulation in the metropolis.
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Dubbed the “zombie drug,” xylazine, a substance that can “rot” skin, has started hitting the black market.
As opioid addiction wreaks havoc on the streets of Montreal, unscrupulous vendors cut their stocks with this extremely dangerous substance strong enough to knock out a horse.
“We sometimes saw quite specific interventions. People did not necessarily regain consciousness, told TVA Nouvelles the general manager of the Cactus Montreal organization, Jean-François Mary.
The Direction régionale de santé publique (DRSP de Montréal) has received confirmation of significant exposure to xylazine among people who use drugs (PUD) in Montreal.
According to the preliminary results of the supraregional project for the analysis of drugs in the urine of people who consume in Quebec, xylazine was detected in 5% of the 300 urine samples collected in Montreal in the fall of 2022.
Chronic consumption of xylazine is associated with significant skin problems, independent of injection sites, such as abscesses, necrotic ulcers and soft tissue infections.
“We sometimes see wounds that evolve in a particular way, adds Jean-François Mary. In reality, for us, it does not change anything. Where these calls for vigilance can be useful is in emergency hospital contexts and where it will be part of their analytical course.
In the event of an overdose, naloxone can reverse the effect of opioids, but not that of xylazine and benzodiazepines.
A call to 911 is necessary for a quick and optimal intervention.