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PUBLIC SERVICE ADVISORY

Heightened Threat: Fentanyl Mixed with Emerging Synthetic Drugs


Law enforcement and public health officials are seeing fentanyl combined with highly potent substances such as xylazine, nitazenes, cychlorphine, and medetomidine. Many of these substances are not approved for human use and are often undetectable to the user. Xylazine and medetomidine are used by veterinarians to sedate animals. Nitazenes and cychlorphine are potent, unregulated, synthetic opioids. New nitazenes tend to be introduced when regulatory actions, enforcement, and drug scheduling put pressure on existing analogues. DEA has reported 22 unique nitazenes compounds since 2020, 21 of which are listed as Schedule I controlled substances. 


Why This Matters

01

Extreme Potency

These emerging synthetic drugs can be significantly more powerful than fentanyl and greatly increase the risk of suffering a fatal overdose.

02

Hidden Mixtures

These substances are frequently mixed into counterfeit pills or fentanyl powder without the user’s knowledge.

03

Reduced Reversal Effectiveness

Drugs like xylazine and medetomidine are not opioids, meaning naloxone may not fully reverse their effects, complicating overdose response. Other synthetics, such as nitazenes and cychlorphine, might require several doses of naloxone to be effective. 

04

Severe Health Impacts

Xylazine has been linked to devastating soft tissue damage, infections, and prolonged sedation, while other synthetics can cause rapid respiratory depression and death.

Anyone can report tips confidentially to OK2SAY on criminal activities - including drug use or sales - as well as potential harm directed at students, school employees, or schools.


Tips can be submitted 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Traverse City Police Department RESILIENCE Program

MISSION:  To cultivate individual and community resilience by providing resources to empower, support and improve
the lives of individuals engaging in a network of collaborative enrichment.


PROGRAM GOALS: 

  • Improve resilience
  • Strengthen the community
  • Improve cross-agency coordination of care 
  • Meet client-led goals
  • Address the root causes of law enforcement contacts for vulnerable people
  • Reduce repeat law enforcement calls


ELIGIBILITY:  Participants must live in the city limits of Traverse City AND be experiencing crises related to at least two
of the following OR have had a recent overdose:

  • Substance use
  • Mental health
  • Homelessness 


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