Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Public-health official: xylazine rising; naloxone won’t reverse its effects
Summary
At a Sawyer County HHS meeting, Dr. Dunlap described xylazine as a non-opioid sedative often mixed with fentanyl, said naloxone does not reverse its effects, and urged monitoring and education; staff agreed to check ER tracking and screening capabilities.
A meeting participant reported information from a recent governor’s call and local partners that xylazine — a non-opioid sedative sometimes mixed with fentanyl — is appearing in the region. The participant urged continued community education and vigilance.
Dr. Dunlap, responding to questions at the meeting, said xylazine is a sedative that commonly is mixed with other drugs, often fentanyl. "As far as I know, I don't think there's any known way to reverse it," Dr. Dunlap said, adding that care is largely supportive. He described characteristic wounds and skin lesions that can help clinicians recognize possible xylazine exposure and noted standard urine-drug screens may not detect it. Board members and staff asked whether local emergency departments were tracking cases and whether testing is available; Dr. Dunlap said he would follow up to gather local ER information for future meetings.
Staff and board members discussed the public-health implications and agreed to increase awareness and education for first responders and community partners. No new directive or formal action on resources was taken at the meeting; staff agreed to report back with any locally available case counts or testing capacity updates.
