The Southern Nevada Health District announced on Tuesday that it has detected xylazine in Clark County’s illicit drug supply.
According to the health district, it registered three overdose deaths involving xylazine in 2023, compared with one in 2020.
Xylazine was detected in the drug supply through the district’s community surveillance program, in which drug paraphernalia is anonymously collected and sampled in Clark County.
The surveillance program is part of an expanded effort to detect substances more quickly and respond.
Xylazine, also known as “tranq,” is a potent tranquilizer that is increasingly being found in the national illicit drug supply. It has been linked to overdose deaths throughout the United States, the health district said.
The drug is only approved for veterinary use and is not approved for human consumption.
Contact Tony Garcia at tgarcia@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0307. Follow @TonyGLVNews on X.