MONTGOMERY COUNTY — The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office is warning residents of a “Narcan resistant” drug in the area being found in overdose deaths.
For the month of January 2023, Montgomery County has seen an increase in the presence of the drug Xylazine in both overdose deaths and the drug supply, according to the coroner’s office.
The drug has been found in 15 suspected overdose deaths this year.
While Xylazine has not been the cause of death, the coroner’s office says it is of concern because it lessens the ability of Narcan to reverse the effects of an overdose.
>> Xenia woman who lied about romance scam sentenced to prison
“Xylazine is an animal anesthetic that is unfortunately, Narcan resistant. While the administration of Narcan is still recommended, Xylazine may reduce its effectiveness,” said Dr. Kent Harshbarger, Montgomery County Coroner.
Xylazine has also been detected as a mixture with fentanyl in samples of seized drugs.
“This underscores the extreme danger of using drugs purchased off the street,” the coroner’s office said.
Additionally, the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office and the Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab have seen a reemergence of the designer opioid, valerylfentanyl.
“While little is known about the potency of the drug, the effects are similar to those of fentanyl,” the coroner’s office said.
Valerylfentanyl was associated with numerous accidental overdose deaths in 2019-2020 in Montgomery County and surrounding areas.
For more information on overdose deaths in Montgomery County, you can click here.
©2023 Cox Media Group
