NJ overdose deaths drop, but cops see new threat in drug that 'even Narcan can't control'
PARSIPPANY — Partnerships between law enforcement agencies and public health experts have contributed to a recent decline in fatal drug overdoses locally and statewide, a trend that is on track to continue this year.
But as New Jersey marked International Overdose Awareness Day on Thursday, officials warned of a new, more potent drug that is quickly becoming widespread and dangerous among those battling substance use disorder.
Xylazine, an FDA-approved animal sedative and pain reliever not meant for human consumption, is the "newest co-murderer" contributing to overdose deaths along with fentanyl, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said in a ceremony outside the county Department of Human Services building. Dealers lace heroin and other recreational drugs with fentanyl and xylazine, creating a mix that is exponentially more powerful than users anticipate, he said.
Opioid crisis 'rooted in economics'
The increase of fentanyl and xylazine in the drug trade is "rooted in economics," Carroll said. A kilogram of heroin costs $60,000, compared to just $3,000 for the same amount of fentanyl. Xylazine is even cheaper, he noted, with common prices from overseas suppliers ranging from $6 to $20 per kilogram.
"Drug trafficking organizations have learned that although xylazine is not an opioid, it is usually profitable because it can be blended as a cutting agent with fentanyl," Carroll said. "You can see the market here is going where the prices are driving them."
What xylazine does
Xylazine attacks the central nervous system and slows down a user's heart rate, breathing and blood pressure to "dangerously low levels," Carroll said. It also causes skin ulcers and other physical effects.
Most significantly, xylazine, unlike fentanyl, is immune from the effects of naloxone, a medication commonly known by the brand name Narcan that revives a person overdosing on opioids.
"What we've effectively done here is changed our enemy, so to speak," Carroll said. "Now we have something that even Narcan can't control."
The prosecutor cited several other facts to illustrate the rapid rise of xylazine and fentanyl in recent years:
From January 2019 to June 2022, national fentanyl deaths involving xylazine almost quadrupled, increasing 276%.
In 2022, 36% of opioids seized by New Jersey law enforcement contained xylazine.
In the first two quarters of 2022, 33% of suspected heroin submissions tested by New Jersey State Police contained xylazine.
97% of suspected heroin submissions tested by State Police contained fentanyl in 2022, compared to just 7% in 2015.
In March, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration issued a public safety alert warning of a "sharp increase" in trafficking of fentanyl laced with xylazine, which is also known as "tranq" (for its intended purpose as an animal tranquilizer.)
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Reasons for hope
Despite that emerging threat, the data also shows some reasons for hope. The number of overdose deaths in Morris County and statewide has decreased recently.
There have been 30 suspected fatal overdoses in the county in 2023, Sheriff Jim Gannon said, though a few toxicology reports are pending and may cause that number to rise. Still, the yearly total is projected to be lower than 2022, when 64 drug-related deaths were reported, and would be the lowest since 44 deaths were reported in 2015.
New Jersey recorded 2,893 suspected overdose deaths last year, State Trooper Kevin Coyle said in April - the lowest statewide total since 2017. There were 1,578 suspected drug-related deaths in the first seven months of 2023, according to the state attorney general's office, meaning the state is on pace for just over 2,700 deaths by the end of the year.
The reduction locally is due in part to initiatives like the Hope One mobile outreach van and Morris County Prevention is Key, an addiction treatment center in Rockaway. Caroline Bailey, a peer recovery specialist at the center who marked 10 years sober this week, received the Hope One service award from Gannon at Thursday's ceremony.
"My heart is heavy today. There are so, so, so many people that I have personally lost," Bailey said, her voice heavy with emotion. "I will fight every day to continue to help people that are struggling with substance use."
Homicide charges for dealers
Gannon cautioned that the positive strides in Morris County are "certainly not a cause for celebration," especially as fentanyl and the rising prominence of xylazine threaten to increase the number of fatal overdoses.
Officials said they remain committed to working together to reduce the impact of opioids and other harmful substances in the community. Carroll, for example, noted three indictments in the county this year for "strict liability homicide," in cases where dealers sell drugs to people who later die from overdoses.
As he spoke Thursday, Carroll pointed behind him to the "Drug Epidemic Memorial Wall," a poster with pictures of roughly 150 New Jersey residents lost to addiction. He vowed to continue working to bring the number down, saying the loss of life to this point is "not acceptable."
"We're not accepting it in our communities. We're certainly not accepting this in law enforcement," Carroll said. "I want you to know we're going to do everything possible, not only to not add to this list, but also to get the persons that are putting the poison into our brothers, sisters, children. We're going to stop them."
Kyle Morel is a local reporter covering Morris and Sussex counties.
Email: kmorel@njherald.com; Twitter: @KMorelNJH
This article originally appeared on New Jersey Herald: NJ opioids: Xylazine poses threat to Narcan as overdoses fall
