Regina police watching for highly potent 'tranq dope' in local drug seizures
Police in Regina are on the lookout for xylazine, a dangerous animal tranquilizer spreading into Canada’s illegal opioid supply.
Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer used in large animals such as horses and is not approved for use in humans.
Known as a “tranq dope” or the “zombie drug” on the street, xylazine is used to prolong the effects of opioids.
There is significant risk for users however. The drug can also lead to extended blackouts and severe abscesses that may require amputation, according to the BC Centre for Disease Control.
Evan Bray, Chief of the Regina Police Service (RPS), told reporters on Tuesday that the drug has yet to be detected in the city.
“I don't believe, at this point it's been a significant issue in our community. But, not to say that it [won't] be,” he said.
“I'm quite confident that we'll hopefully get a bit of a heads up if we started seeing that make its way into our province.”
A total of 161 overdose incidents were reported in Regina in February of 2023.
A recent report from Health Canada revealed that xylazine was identified in 1,350 samples of drugs seized across the country in 2022.
The drug has been identified a total of 2,324 times since record-keeping began in 2015.
A main concern around xylazine is its resistance to Narcan, the opioid overdose treatment.
“It's a bit cliché to say but there is no quality control in the drug world,” Bray explained.
“That's part of the challenge that we see. We saw fentanyl, making a presence known in our community and within months, we had various different derivatives or analogs associated to fentanyl. Some were responsive to the Narcan, some were not. So, that's the problem when you've got synthetic drugs.”
Going forward, Bray said that ongoing partnerships with other law enforcement entities and the medical field will help track the progress of the drug’s spread.
“Those partnerships exist now. We have very strong partnerships with the College of Physicians with pharmacists and lots of different professions that use and are involved in the distribution or prescription of drugs. So that's one whole piece of work that we do as police agencies and I expect that that will continue,” he said.
“You really just have to understand it’s bad for you, potentially lethal for you and we have to do everything we can to limit its effects in the community.”
With files from CTV News’ Megan DeLaire.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
DEVELOPING Live updates from the Trump hush money trial: Stormy Daniels, bookkeeper testify
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Boeing 737 catches fire and skids off the runway at a Senegal airport, injuring 10 people
A Boeing 737-300 plane carrying 85 people skidded off a runway at the airport in Dakar, Senegal's capital, injuring 10 people, according to the transport minister, an airline safety group and footage from a passenger that showed the aircraft on fire.
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
Man accused of killing two children at Quebec daycare to stand trial in April 2025
The man accused of murdering two children and injuring six others after a city bus crashed into a Montreal-area daycare is scheduled to stand trial over five weeks beginning in April 2025.