Police in Edmonton, Red Deer find increased use of animal tranquilizer in local drug supplies

A powerful tranquilizer used on animals has been found in illicit drugs being used by people in the city, says the Edmonton Police Service.

A powerful tranquilizer used on animals has been found in illicit drugs being used by people in the city, says the Edmonton Police Service.

EPS confirmed to CTV News Edmonton they're seeing the increased use of xylazine — a tranquilizer most often used as a sedative and anesthetic for horses — in the city's drug supply.

Staff Sgt. David Paton of the EPS drug and gang enforcement unit told CTV News Edmonton the current drug supply in the city is being processed using a variety of different cutting agents, including xylazine.

“We’re seeing so many different variants of fentanyl where they’re adding in various adulterants such as xylazine, such as other fentanyl analogues," Paton said. "You never know what you’re going to get.”

RCMP in Red Deer issued a warning on Friday after seeing an increase in emergency calls for drug-related overdoses in the community. They believe the higher number of calls is due to the animal tranquilizer in the drugs people are now using in the central Alberta city.

“With the mixing of illicit drugs, there is an elevated risk involved with accidental overdose, posing extreme risk to human death,” RCMP said Friday in a media release.

While warnings are being issued over the sedative, Marliss Taylor, the director of streetworks and health services at Edmonton's Boyle Street Community Services, says while the practise of mixing xylazine with drugs isn't new, it’s hard to know how much of the tranquilizer is being used without a robust drug checking system.