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Open Access / OK to Reproduce
Peer Reviewed
Objective
Recently declared an emerging health threat in the U.S., the prevalence of xylazine in overdose deaths increased 5.5-fold between 2019 and 2021. More information is needed about the impact of xylazine on opioid users and harm reduction service providers.
Findings/Key points
The prevalence of xylazine has expanded, especially in combination with fentanyl. Harm reduction education efforts with fidelity to best practices have emerged, but the harms persist and community prevention needs are largely unmet.
Design/methods
The impact of xylazine adulteration was triangulated through examination of (1) opioid overdose fatalities in Connecticut between 2017 and 2021 reported by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner data, (2) a convenience survey of people in Connecticut who use drugs (PWUD) regarding their knowledge of and attitude about the local illicit drug supply, and (3) semi-structured interviews of harm reduction service providers in Connecticut and Philadelphia in response to prompts on the impacts of and responses to xylazine adulteration
