Xylazine embedded in drug supply, RFK Jr. in town, today's top stories | Daily Briefing

Terry DeMio, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read
Xylazine is often mixed into fentanyl, and it can cause devastating skin ulcerations and necrotic wounds if injected repeatedly.
Xylazine is often mixed into fentanyl, and it can cause devastating skin ulcerations and necrotic wounds if injected repeatedly.

Hi, I’m Terry DeMio, and I’ve covered the opioid epidemic for The Enquirer for a decade from one of the country’s epicenters of the nationwide scourge: here.

We have witnessed its evolution. From misuse of widely accessible prescription painkillers to a flood of heroin in the region to the deadliest synthetic opioids now embedded here ‒ fentanyl and its analogs. We’ve watched an unprecedented spiraling of overdose deaths.

And the crisis is still evolving.

The latest additive to the drug supply is an animal sedative called xylazine. It’s often dropped into fentanyl. It can cause chaotic health conditions and complicate opioid use and withdrawal. It is not an opioid. It’s called "tranq" by those familiar with it.

Now, the Cincinnati area has become a hub for xylazine, though many using it may not realize it. I hope you’ll read about tranq and how it’s harming people in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana –  including our neighbors in Greater Cincinnati.

What else you need to know Tuesday, Oct. 17

⛅ Weather: High of 60. Periods of clouds and sunshine.

🗳️ Politics: RFK Jr. brings his independent presidential campaign to Cincinnati region on Tuesday.

⚾ Sports: How Joey Votto continues to impact Reds' October as rivals vie for World Series.

📖 Don't Miss: David Pepper was kidnapped. He's written a new novel about it.

🧼 Business: St. Bernard Soap Co. slashes half its workers after P&G trims contract manufacturing firms.

Before you go: Take me to your ring of fire

Cincinnati astronomer Dean Regas chased the Oct. 14, 2023, solar eclipse to Roswell, New Mexico.
Cincinnati astronomer Dean Regas chased the Oct. 14, 2023, solar eclipse to Roswell, New Mexico.

Cincinnati astronomer Dean Regas headed out to Roswell, New Mexico, this past weekend to view the solar eclipse on Saturday. There, he joined the Roswell Astronomy Club and hundreds of visitors to view the annularity – where the moon fits inside the sun, creating a "ring of fire."

Click or tap here to see more of his photos of the stunning event.

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Today's Top Stories

Katherine Snyder, and her husband, John Snyder, sit at the defense table awaiting opening statements in their trial on Friday, Oct. 13, 2023. They are charged with aggravated murder in the death of their adopted son, Adam, 8, in 2016. The Snyders adopted five children from China, including Adam, all with special needs. They have three biological children.

• 'They killed my brother': Girl testifies she feared couple who adopted her from China

• FC Cincinnati's Chris Albright: The club's biggest challenges are still to come

• Nearly 87,000 apply for Ohio's new universal voucher program, more than triple last year

Fans cheer in the stands during the first quarter of the NFL Week 6 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.
Fans cheer in the stands during the first quarter of the NFL Week 6 game between the Cincinnati Bengals and the Seattle Seahawks at Paycor Stadium in downtown Cincinnati on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023.

• Trick-or-treat at Paycor Stadium? Bengals making spooky dreams come true

• Cincinnati-bound plane aborts takeoff, passengers evacuated at Philadelphia airport

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Xylazine embedded in drug supply, RFK Jr. in town | Daily Briefing