A recent news article in the Arkansas Democrat Gazette reports on the emergence and increase in xylazine across the Arkansas drug supply. Xylazine is a non-opioid sedative or tranquilizer approved for use only in animals, and it is increasingly showing up in illicit drugs such as fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. n humans, the side effects encompass sedation, impaired respiration, perilously low blood pressure, decreased heart rate, and an elevated likelihood of fatal overdose. Additionally, there is a potential side effect of rapidly deteriorating skin ulcerations, which, if left untreated, may necessitate amputation.   “The dangers of xylazine and the rapid rise in illicit use of the drug prompted the Biden administration to designate the drug as an emerging drug threat in April and to issue a national response plan in July to address the threat. Among other things, the response plan calls for standardized forensic testing practices, development of rapid clinical tests and development and deployment of a test to detect xylazine in drug samples at all levels in the supply chain, from wholesale seizure quantities to retail levels within communities.” Read the full article here.