Fentanyl is increasingly being combined with xylazine, a non-opioid animal tranquilizer, which could further exacerbate the overdose crisis as people unknowingly consume drugs laced with both fentanyl and xylazine. Xylazine consumption is linked to heightened overdose risk, skin ulcers, a decrease in breathing, and serious injury. On April 12, 2023 the White House designated Fentanyl combined with xylazine as an emerging threat to the United States.
To know if their drug supply contains xylazine, people can use test strips to test for the presence of xylazine. The New York City Department of Mental and Health Hygiene (NYC Health Department) and BTNX offer guidance on using xylazine test strips.
People can purchase xylazine test strips online from AlcoPro, Amazon, MD BIO, and BTNX. On AlcoPro individuals can purchase 25 test strips for $135. On Amazon the unit price of a test strip is $1.90 per test strip. Tests come in packages of 25 tests. On MD BIO customers can purchase test strips in packages of 1, 5, 10, 100, and 500. 1 test strip costs $3.49, 5 test strips cost $9.95, 10 test strips cost $19.40 100 test strips costs $189, 500 test strips costs $875. On BTNX’s website a package of 10 test strips cost $20.
Disclaimer: Public health officials urge you to understand your state and local regulations related to drug checking equipment.
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