Drug test strips that detect the presence of fentanyl and xylazine, an animal tranquilizer that often causes wounds that eat through a user’s skin and into the muscle, will soon be available for Delawareans who struggle with addiction.
On Wednesday, Lt. Governor Bethany Hall-Long announced a pilot program to distribute combination fentanyl and xylazine test strips, the first of their kind nationwide. Currently, strips for fentanyl and xylazine − which is also known as “tranq dope” and is increasingly being cut into fentanyl − are only offered as two separate tests.
The program comes ahead of the July 4th holiday, which addiction specialists fear will cause a spike in overdoses. Dr. Sandra Gibney, a local doctor who has long worked to battle the state’s opioid epidemic, said medical professionals typically see an uptick in drug use around holidays.
