ALBANY, N.Y. (NEXSTAR) — The New York State Health Department (DOH) issued a public health alert on Friday, June 21. Officials identified a powerful synthetic veterinary sedative in drug samples in Central New York and the Capital Region.
DOH said their partners at ACR Health in Syracuse and Catholic Charities in Schenectady found the dangerous cocktail. Laboratory results confirmed the medetomidine in two samples. They collected the first sample, which also contained fentanyl, in Schenectady on May 24.
On June 5, they collected the second in Syracuse. That sample might be linked to two nonfatal overdoses.
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“Medetomidine impacts the central nervous system and is extremely dangerous when combined with other substances,” wrote Dr. James McDonald, DOH Commissioner, in the public health warning. DOH also noted that medetomidine is considered more potent than xylazine, also called “tranq.”…