New drug routinely used on animals showing up in illicit drug supply

The Drug Enforcement Administration is warning of another dangerous drug called medetomidine; it's a non-opioid sedative routinely used on animals, but officials say it’s being mixed with things like fentanyl and other drugs.

“If these drugs are there, they’re making a bad situation worse,” said Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner Dr. Thomas Gilson.

News 5 has already reported that cocaine and meth are being mixed with Fentanyl. The deadly combinations are killing people.

“Right now, very dangerous point in the United States when it comes down to these chemicals that are coming from China into Mexico being manufactured, being brought up,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Cleveland,
Thomas Gergye.

The DEA said medetomidine is showing up in Fentanyl in some parts of the country. The dangerous concoction has already proven to be deadly in Chicago and Philadelphia.

“There were big clusters of people passing away in Chicago and Philadelphia. My understanding of those deaths is that while medetomidine was present, so was fentanyl,” said Gilson.

The crime lab at the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office has seen the drug in testing for the last couple of years. But so far, Gilson said there have not been any overdoses in connection to the drug in our area. It was 10 years ago fentanyl started showing up in illicit drugs.

“Fentanyl was a game changer,” said Gilson. “I think that’s why everybody’s kind of nervous when we see a new drug like medetomidine or xylazine showing up in the drug supply, is going to be the next game changer?”

According to the DEA, last year, an average of 307 people a day died from drug overdoses.

“You can’t take a pill that you don’t get from a pharmacy. Don’t trust anybody giving you a pill. Be very careful, stay away from it,” stressed Gergye.

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