Beyond Xylazine: The Dangerous Emergence of Medetomidine (“Rhino Tranq”)
The landscape of the United States illicit drug market is shifting with terrifying speed. For several years, public health officials have struggled to contain the “fourth wave” of the opioid crisis, characterized by the adulteration of fentanyl with the veterinary sedative xylazine, commonly known as “tranq.” However, just as harm reduction strategies began to adapt to xylazine, a more potent and dangerous additive has emerged: medetomidine.
